Latin America

Rising inflation has caused consumers to be increasingly stressed in 2023, with rising price points and ongoing economic uncertainty negatively impacting lives. This ongoing uncertainty has led to an increase in physical discomforts; often in the…

In 2023, increased socialising and the return to post-pandemic habits support the growth of several OTC categories. However, high inflation and a fluctuating exchange rate continue to create uncertainty. Inflation in Costa Rica was 8.27% in 2022, the…

At the end of 2022, there was an increase in the need to treat cold and flu symptoms. This was driven by the return of socialising following periods of social distancing, increased hand washing and the wearing of face masks throughout most of 2020…

As consumers face stress due to economic uncertainty and skin imbalances after COVID-19, many suffer from hair loss, helping category growth. While some consumers opt for dietary supplements to avoid hair loss, others turn to shampoos or other…

Omega-3 supplements have gained immense popularity in Costa Rica due to the growing awareness among people about their health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential nutrients that cannot be produced by the body, and are therefore…

In 2023, consumers are enjoying their newfound freedom following the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions. As such, this has led to an increased use of foodservice, with consumers eating out at restaurants, having parties, and drinking with friends.…

"Macrobioticas" or health food stores, can be found nationwide, and in some parts of the country, their presence is even more visible than that of pharmacies. Traditional healers, known as curanderos or yerberos, are often consulted for advice and…

There is a growing demand for natural and organic products in all categories regarding paediatric health. This is increasingly obvious in baby food, supplements, and skin care products. Parents are becoming more conscious of the ingredients in the…

Sports nutrition witnessed an upturn in current value sales in 2022 as consumers left COVID-19 fears behind and returned to gyms and their usual sporting activities. Moving into 2023, Many Costa Ricans focus on losing weight gained during the…

Consumers having less disposable income has impacted their purchasing habits in 2023, including their choices regarding healthcare products and vitamins. Rather than investing in preventative measures like vitamins, consumers are opting for more…

During 2022 and 2023, Ozempic injections have started to be used by consumers who do not have type 2 diabetes to lose weight. Popularised by international media, higher-income consumers who can afford them have resorted to using these injections to…

The growth of sports and indoor and outdoor activities, as well as children returning to school, has led to increased injuries compared to the previous years of COVID-19 restrictions. This, in turn, has driven the demand for first aid products in…

Retail volume sales of analgesics rebounded in 2023, following a two-year period of decline. While the COVID-19 pandemic boosted demand for acetaminophen (paracetamol), which was the only analgesic recommended by the government to alleviate the…

While analgesics performed well during the pandemic, they has returned to more moderate growth now that the threat has subsided. In 2023, analgesics is expected to register moderate current value growth, though constant value sales are expected to…

In 2023, acetaminophen continues to lead sales of analgesics in Chile, whilst also experiencing the highest growth rate in the category. This growth has remained steady since the onset of the pandemic, where acetaminophen became the preferred choice…

After the spike in demand for systemic analgesics in the period, 2020 to 2021, driven by COVID-19 and then by the need to relieve reactions to vaccination, in 2022 demand tended to stabilise. However, adult acetaminophen and combination analgesics…

Analgesics has not seen a positive performance in 2023 as the height of the pandemic has passed. During the pandemic’s peak, consumers were buying up analgesics at a rapid pace to treat fevers, aches and other symptoms associated with acute…

Pharmacies continue to have significant influence over the value sales of analgesics in Ecuador. For instance, in lower income neighbourhoods, pharmacies are generally stocked with generics, whereas in wealthier neighbourhoods, mainly branded…

During 2023, Argentina was plunged into an economic crisis, with the rate of inflation soaring to more than 100%, one of the highest in the world. With the country already struggling to comply with the conditions of a loan package from the…

Bolivia has managed to protect itself to a large extent from inflation by continuing to have a fixed exchange rate against the dollar. However, there has been challenges for the economy in 2023, with sharp falls in foreign currency reserves and this…

Consumer health in Chile experienced a notable slowdown in value growth in 2022 compared to the previous year's performance. In 2021, the pandemic-induced liquidity in the local market and the shift towards preventive habits among consumers drove…

In 2023, Colombians returned to their familiar routines, with increasing social activity and hectic lifestyles leading to an increase in cases of cold and benefiting most OTC categories. However, the opposite trend is being observed in vitamins and…

Despite persistent inflationary pressures in the country and wages that have not yet caught up with market conditions, consumer health recorded growth in 2023. Growth was supported by solid categories, including cough, cold and allergy (hay fever)…

Ecuador is expected to register only a slight increase in current value sales in 2023. Ecuador is grappling with rising crime rates and political instability, with runoff elections scheduled in October. This is all leading to economic uncertainty and…

Retail sales of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies saw another year of healthy growth in constant value terms in 2023. With the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles, including a return to work, school and social activities, consumers…

Seasonal flus have returned, as people mix together once again , post pandemic, and cough, cold and allergy (hay fever remedies) are expected to register moderate current value growth, though constant value growth will be minimal, as rising costs hit…

Cough, cold, and allergy (hay fever) remedies in Chile is experiencing remarkable growth for the second consecutive year in 2023, both in terms of volume and value. This upward trend can be attributed primarily to the return to normalcy following the…

In 2022, demand for cold, cough and allergy (have fever) remedies soared, as a result of the atypical increase in flu cases, as social distancing, handwashing protocols, and the use of face masks were totally lifted in 2022, facilitating the spread…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies are among the most popular consumer health items in the Dominican Republic and are experiencing further growth in 2023 despite higher unit prices resulting largely from persistent inflationary pressures…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies are expected to register a decline in value sales. Value sales are now at more normal levels, as concerns about the COVID-19 virus have abated. In addition, Ecuador is grappling with rising crime rates and…

Retail sales of dermatologicals saw a second year of healthy growth in constant value terms in 2023. The category suffered a decline during the pandemic, when consumers spent more time at home and were therefore less exposed to environments which…

With society operating normally once again, after the pandemic, visits to doctors in relation to skin conditions have increased. This is seeing products such as topical antifungals, vaginal antifungals, cold sore treatments, and haemorrhoid…

Dermatologicals maintain a healthy growth trajectory in line with figures recorded in 2022, retaining significant value sales that surpass pre-pandemic levels. While this category typically demonstrates notable stability and does not exhibit…

Dermatologicals is expected to see higher value growth in 2023 than in the previous year. Value growth is partly being driven by escalating prices and partly by people returning to in-person medical consultations, which lead to more recommendations…

Despite the challenging economic conditions affecting the country, consumers continue to purchase a variety of dermatological products as awareness about treating certain conditions increases. Categories such as haemorrhoid treatments, medicated…

Medicated shampoo is expected to register the highest current value growth in dermatologicals in 2023, with the big winner being Genommalab’s Medicasp. This brand has significantly increased value share over the review period. With substantial…

Despite ongoing economic instability, consumers remained keen to maintain healthy lifestyles in order to help boost their immune systems. This, alongside the expansion of health food shops, boosted retail volume sales of dietary supplements in 2023.…

While dietary supplements are expected to register moderate current value growth, constant value growth is expected to be minimal. Dietary supplements are mainly imported and in 2023 costs have been rising for imports, due to a sharp decline in…

Dietary supplements in Chile is experiencing a resurgence in dynamic value growth in 2023, following a decline the previous year. This renewed growth can be attributed to the growing interest among consumers in educating themselves about the…

The dietary supplements category is expected to experience positive growth rates in 2023, largely driven by prices, although the growth is expected to be slower than that seen previously in the review period. Despite the increasing concern amongst…

Dietary supplements continues to expand in 2023 as consumers have a large variety of products to choose from and are responding favourably to new product launches. At the end of 2022, for instance, Megalabs, launched InvitaEnergy, a combination of…

Probiotic supplements is a standout product within dietary supplements and is expected to register double-digit volume growth in 2023. Probiotics supplements are available over the counter, but part of their success is due to sales representatives…

Retail sales of digestive remedies saw accelerated growth in constant value terms in 2023, as consumers returned to their busy, pre-pandemic lifestyles. With fears over the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to subside, there was notable increase in the…

The increased availability of low-cost generic proton pump inhibitors containing compounds such as omeprazole are dampening volume sales of antacids. Despite omeprazole being registered as an Rx drug, it is widely available, and can be accessed…

Digestive remedies in Chile is experiencing a deceleration in value growth during 2023 compared to the double-digit increases observed in the previous two years. Despite a general decline in demand, the category continues to show healthy growth rates…

Digestive remedies has been amongst the most dynamic categories within OTC. With people back to their normal routines, which include an increase in the frequency of eating out of the home, they have been more prone to suffer from bloating, reflux, or…

Digestive remedies continued to see an expansion in its consumer base in 2023 with higher penetration levels translating to stronger retail value sales. Products for indigestion and heartburn saw healthy growth thanks to more consumers eating outside…

Digestive remedies is expected to register significant current value and volume growth in 2023, partly driven by high demand for diarrhoeal remedies (see below). The healthy growth is also due to the high levels of recommendation by pharmacists at…

With consumers spending more time in front of screens, whether as a result of home working or e-learning, retail sales of eye care products continued to see healthy growth in constant value terms in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased use…

Eye care in Chile is experiencing declining retail volume sales in 2023, primarily due to greater mobility outside of the home and the transition back to in-person work settings. In 2020 and 2021, standard eye care experienced a notable upturn in…