• In 2025, global staple foods retail sales value increased by 4.1% year-on-year to USD 1.2 trillion
• Value growth continues to outpace volume, with retail volume increasing 1.7% in 2025
• Affordability, private label growth and shifting cooking habits remain defining forces shaping demand

The global market for staple foods continues to expand, reaching USD 1.2 trillion in 2025.

While consumers remain highly price-sensitive, sustained food inflation and shifting purchasing behaviours are reshaping the industry’s trajectory heading towards 2030.

According to Euromonitor International’s World Market for Staple Foods 2026 report, value growth is being driven primarily by rising prices rather than increased consumption, as households respond to tighter budgets, changing cooking habits and rising concern over ultra-processed foods.

Tom Rees, Global Insight Manager for Food and Nutrition at Euromonitor International, noted: “Affordability has remained the dominant theme across staple foods. Consumers are tired of prices they see as too high and producers are struggling to reignite volume sales. Lower cost formats, private label products and discounters are thriving as shoppers continue to vote with their wallets.”

Affordable carbohydrate staples drive category growth

Cheaper carbohydrate staples such as rice and pasta have benefited as consumers shift towards cost-effective meal components that avoid the stigma of ultra-processed food. Meanwhile, baked goods remain the largest category globally due to their ubiquity and rising ingredient prices.

Staple foods categories showing the strongest global value growth in 2025 include:

• Rice: +12.3%
• Pasta: +8.1%
• Meat and seafood substitutes: +7.1%
• Bread: +6.6%
• Pastries: +5.6%

“Staple foods grew 4.1% in 2025 to USD 1.2 trillion, driven more by rising prices than volume, which increased only 1.7%. Inflation remains the key force behind value growth, with constant terms growth at just 1.2%,” says Rees.

“Ongoing price rises continue to push consumers toward private label and cheaper channels.”

Private label continues to surge as consumers seek value

Private label reached over 16% of global sales in 2025, gaining share in nearly every region. This shift has accelerated as supermarkets expand loyalty discounts and discounters strengthen their foothold. In markets like North America, private label now accounts for more than one fifth of the total staple foods market.

Warehouse clubs and discounters have emerged as top growth retail channels for staple foods, surpassing e-commerce for the first time in five-year CAGR terms.

Rees states, “the rise of private label sales has continued as food prices remain high in consumers’ minds and major retailers see the opportunity to capitalise.”

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