Healthy Longevity is one of Euromonitor International’s five new Trending Topics for the year ahead. We have identified these topics as the most crucial cross-industry trends that businesses need to prioritise to remain competitive.
Global life expectancy is set to rise by nearly five years over the 2022-2050 period
Source: United Nations
Healthy lifespan continues to lag behind. Increasingly embedded wellness lifestyles – aimed at optimising lifespan and extending healthy years – demand more targeted segmentation and greater recognition of evolving and underserved needs across the lifecycle to drive improved consumer acquisitions, engagement and retention.
The combined effects of rising lifespans and rapidly ageing societies present a new priority for society and business to address the ageing process and help individuals age better, namely fostering the adoption of healthier habits that support early-stage prevention, optimising healthy years and enabling active ageing later in life. Amid a thriving wellness industry and new health-positioned product launches across consumer goods categories growing at a robust 8% in 2024 (across key categories and markets tracked by Euromonitor’s Innovation system), prospects for elevating the healthy longevity proposition are further reinforced.
Facing longer life prospects, younger generations are embracing longevity-first wellness aspirations. Future-proofing health among the young entails leveraging entry-level longevity concepts that address short-term health considerations with the benefit of long-term habit building. Investment efforts should lean on seamless integration of functional benefits, on-the-go novel supplement formats and “back-to-basics” health principles, such as hydration – a distinct priority and health indicator among Gen Z consumers. Hydration-focused claims have surged exponentially, with new online product launches across consumer health, beauty and food and beverages growing by 25% in 2024 (across key categories and markets tracked by Euromonitor’s Innovation system).
Young consumers report greater concern with stress and anxiety compared to older age groups. Early education and prevention that link chronic stress with long-term biological ageing could not only reinforce healthy lifestyles, but also highlight short-term physiological impacts, such as immunity, skin health and hair loss. Psycho-physical intersections are creating scope for ingredient diversification and attributes linked to emotional health, such as mood and stress management, with the share of online SKUs with a “stress relief” positioning, for example, representing 11% of total skin care in 2024.
Advancing support around cellular and metabolic health in midlife
Debunking the notion of chronological age, midlife consumers are pivoting towards more proactive and targeted age management approaches to optimise healthy lifespan, including dietary supplements and more advanced diagnostics. Growing awareness of cellular senescence and metabolic health shifts is prompting novel innovation streams, including metabolism-friendly solutions and convergences with disruptive GLP-1 therapeutics. Higher health risk predispositions among women, including metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis and heart disease due to oestrogen loss, necessitate more tailored support in the underserved area of menopausal care.
Cellular health-positioned products across both topicals and ingestibles are on the rise, while longevity-focused ingredients, such as resveratrol, spermidine and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), are expanding into categories and promoting holistic benefits around skin, cognitive and digestive health.
Refining existing habits in midlife entails shifting the discourse from “anti-ageing” to proactive age management, while leveraging more advanced and tailored interventions for optimising biological and metabolic performance.
How to win with Healthy Longevity
The longevity space is garnering business traction, with broad-based implications across healthcare, technology and multiple consumer goods industries. Manifestations span a wide spectrum of consumer aspirations and enablement tools, ranging from basic lifestyle interventions to next-level regenerative therapies. These dynamics necessitate nuanced approaches, in view of holistic and life-stages specific needs, as well as cultural, geographic and socioeconomic resonance.
As more brands lean on longevity science to inform ingredient formulations, product positioning and consumer engagement, a deeper understanding of both ageing hallmarks and causality will be as important as the ability to transfer that knowledge in accessible ways that translate complex science into everyday benefits.
Prevention, optimisation and regeneration efforts should pivot around building, refining and reversing habits which drive healthier choices across the lifespan. Equally, utilising technology and medical partnerships could play a critical role in stretching propositions from point solutions to holistic care ecosystems. Complementary services, such as digital coaching, diagnostics and educational platforms, can drive improved engagement, personalisation and seamless lifestyle integration.
Learn more in our report, Healthy Longevity: Maximising Opportunities Across the Lifecycle to drive stronger consumer acquisition, improved health outcomes and business value through targeted life-stage-centric segmentation.
Discover Euromonitor’s other Trending Topics to help you strategise for the year ahead.
