Latin America

Sleep disorders have increased in Colombia since the pandemic due to the increased incidence of mental health issues and anxiety, whether diagnosed or not. The country still faces barriers to timely attention and diagnosis of psychological and…

Demand for sleep aids is growing in 2023 to remain significantly above pre-pandemic levels. Although value growth can also be considered healthy, it falls short when compared to the remarkable figures observed in 2021, when the category experienced…

Sleep aids is set to maintain dynamic retail volume growth and even stronger current value growth in Brazil in 2023. For many people, especially those in busy cities, getting a full eight hours sleep each night can feel like a luxury. The fast pace…

During 2023, sleep aids continued to benefit from the post- pandemic landscape of ongoing global economic instability, compounded by rampant inflation, which placed pressure on both middle- and low-income groups. As a result, consumers were forced to…

Value sales for paediatric consumer health continues to be low in Uruguay and in 2023 it is expected to register a slight decrease in constant value sales, as continuing rising prices cuts into profitability. Analgesics continues to account for most…

Trends seen towards probiotics in dietary supplements are also influencing products for children. Consumer awareness of probiotics was increased during the era of health and wellbeing trends triggered by the pandemic, as people became better educated…

Amid a sixth wave of COVID-19 in early 2023, coinciding with the typical flu and cold season in Mexico, schools emerged as hotspots for disease transmission. The resulting discomfort in children and parents' heightened concern for their wellbeing led…

Even with the high rate of inflation and growing economic uncertainty in Guatemala, paediatric consumer health is seeing a positive performance. As children are back to in-person learning on a full-time basis and are once again participating…

Paediatric consumer health is expected to register a slight increase in current value sales, but a fall in volume sales. The performance of vitamins in particular is expected to drag down the overall segment. Vitamins are the largest product in…

Despite challenging macroeconomic conditions in the country and higher prices for just about everything, paediatric consumer health managed to record positive growth over the review period and in 2023, reflecting the importance families place on the…

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…

Paediatric analgesics faced supply issues during 2022 and part of 2023, particularly with a scarcity of Dolex 7+ (a suspension that can be used for children aged 7 and above that has a different concentration from baby drops and adult acetaminophen).…

Paediatric consumer health is experiencing similar value growth rates to the previous year in Chile, although this is not aligned with the increasing demand for this category during 2023. A notable challenge has emerged as there have been stock…

Paediatric consumer health is poised for solid growth in current value terms in Brazil in 2023, maintaining a rate of increase similar to that observed in 2022. While in 2022, in-person schooling exposed children to colds and flu, in 2023, another…

In 2023, paediatric consumer health is expected to register a decline in current value sales. A contributing factor to the decline is that the birth rate is falling in Bolivia. That being said, birth rates are still high. Some products are expected…

Retail volume sales of paediatric cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies saw positive growth for the second consecutive year in 2023. With the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles, including the return of students to school and infants to…

NRT smoking cessation aids is not a notably significant category in Peru. Indeed, such products are niche and not widely available, and have failed to attract consumer’s attention. Smokers prefer to simply maintain their habit or opt for natural and…

Demand for NRT smoking cessation aids in Mexico continues to decline, despite the greater motivation among some consumers to quit smoking during the pandemic. It is worth noting that per capita smoking prevalence in Mexico is on the decline due to…

NRT smoking cessation aids saw growth decelerate in 2021 and 2022. On one side, with the high price tag of NRT products and consumers looking to balance their budgets, this category is not considered essential but easily replaceable. On the other…

NRT smoking cessation aids is set to continue to witness a volume decline in Brazil in 2023, despite the expectation of current value growth, due to increases in prices. Although nicotine patches is one of the most established formats for nicotine…

The proportion of the Argentinian population claiming to smoke declined in 2023, continuing the trend of previous years of the review period. This was driven mainly by a decline in smoking amongst women, with prevalence amongst men decreasing at a…

Herbal/traditional products are expected to register a slight fall in constant value sales, as continuing rising prices hits profitability. That being said, demand is steady, and there is an increasing range of herbal/traditional products available…

Herbal/traditional remedies is benefitting from a combination of factors which are pushing consumers towards this area of medicine. One element is the economic context, with high inflation leading to lower consumer purchasing power. In this sense,…

Current value growth of herbal/traditional products is slowing in 2023 compared to the previous year. The influence of COVID-19 on demand for different herbal/traditional products was largely related to the overall performance of the core category…

Similar to other countries in the region, Guatemala boasts a long history and strong tradition of herbal/traditional remedies and practices of natural medicine. Many of these products are commercialised informally, sometimes in unpackaged or…

Herbal/traditional sleep aids is expected to register the highest current value growth in 2023. Stress factors such as economic uncertainty and a spiralling crime rate are expected to lead to increased demand for sleep aids. In addition,…

Herbal/traditional remedies recorded steady growth in 2023 as they are well received and trusted by Dominican consumers. Also, consumers are increasingly turning to more natural products that they perceive to be healthier, cleaner and less processed.…

"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…

Demand for cough/cold/allergy remedies is on the rise. Ingredients such as menthol, eucalyptus, propolis, and hedera helix are particularly popular in syrups used to address dry or productive coughs. These herbal remedies are known for their…

Consumers in Chile continue to show strong support for herbal/traditional products, especially when purchasing cough/cold remedies. This trend is not only driven by the longstanding preference for natural products among many Chileans but also due to…

Herbal/traditional products is set to see double-digit current value growth in Brazil in 2023. Consumers in Brazil continue to robustly support herbal/traditional products, especially when it comes to cough/cold remedies and sleep aids. This enduring…

In recent years, the local government has been active in promoting the development of traditional medicine. In 2023, local health authorities continued with this strategy and signed an agreement with the Japanese government to help promote local…

Demand for herbal/traditional dietary supplements continued to grow strongly in 2023, as consumers sought out products to help protect them from illness. This increased focus on preventative health and immunity-boosting products caused a surge in…

Eye care is another winning category in consumer health in Peru in 2023, with a growing number of people seeking products which will soothe their eyes after spending long hours working and/or studying, in addition to spending long periods of time on…

In 2022, demand for eye care rebounded leading to a recovery for retail volume sales to pre-pandemic levels. However, 2023 is showing a more subdued trend. This can be attributed to the inflationary pressures experienced by Mexicans, which are…

The occurrence of dry eye in Colombia is on the rise, with an estimated 35% to 40% of the population experiencing this condition, although official statistics are unavailable. The emergence of new habits during the pandemic and post-pandemic period,…

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…

Eye care is expected to maintain positive momentum in both volume and current value terms in Brazil in 2023. A lasting long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been increased screen time, which has driven demand for eye drops across virtually…

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…

Digestive remedies is expected to register moderate constant value and volume growth in 2023. With society fully opened up and people leading hectic lives, with less time to prepare healthy meals, this is leading to increased digestive issues. Also,…

The climatic context of 2023, caused by the El Niño Costero weather event, has increased digestive diseases such as diarrhoea and nausea, caused especially by rotavirus. Indeed, the National Centre for Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control…

Over 2023, the Ministry of Tourism anticipates a return to pre-pandemic tourism levels, signalling an increase in foreign visitors to Mexico. However, this upsurge also implies a likelihood of tourists experiencing gastric issues, often resulting in…

Digestive remedies is set to see positive growth in 2023, with hectic modern lifestyles and convenience orientated diets supporting demand. As many consumers have returned to dining out, consuming more street food, and in general straying from the…

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…

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…

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.…

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 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 is set to show double-digit growth in current value terms in Brazil in 2023; a result primarily driven by antacids and diarrhoeal remedies. Together, these two categories account for more than half of value sales of digestive…

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…