Latin America

Consumer health sales grew moderately in 2023 as consumers prioritised their spending on essential goods over preventive health. As a result, vitamins and dietary supplements and weight management and wellbeing were the most affected. However, sports…

In 2023, after three years of placing health at the forefront due to the pandemic, Mexicans have finally found some respite and are shifting their focus away from health concerns. While the public healthcare system grapples with supply shortages,…

Consumer health in Honduras experienced a year of growth in value terms in 2023 that was in line with the country's inflation. Categories such as analgesics, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, dermatologicals, and sports nutrition…

Consumer health has seen demand dampened by consumers being confronted with very high inflation. The rate of 9.2% in 2022 was the highest experienced in decades. As a result, more consumers have been forced to prioritise household spending on…

Sales growth of consumer health in El Salvador in 2023 varied across categories. While OTC performed well, growing at above inflation, preventive health categories such as vitamins, dietary supplements and weight management recorded significant…

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…

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)…

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…

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…

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…

Consumer health in Brazil is expected to close 2023 with double-digit growth in current value terms for the third consecutive year. While in previous years, the COVID-19 pandemic boosted demand for cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, as…

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…

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…

Though current value sales are expected to rise, constant value sales are expected to fall, as continuing rising operating costs cut into profitability. In 2023, with concerns about COVID-19 abating, demand for analgesics reduces to more normal…

Analgesics benefitted from the era of COVID-19, as consumers sought out pain relief such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, both of which saw extensive coverage in the media as low-cost products that could treat symptoms of the virus quickly and…

In late 2022 and into early 2023, a convergence of COVID-19, seasonal flu, and heightened influenza cases created what the media termed a "tripledemic," impacting Mexico, the US, and Central American nations. While Mexico did not experience the same…

Analgesics is set to see a decline in sales in 2023 as consumers have migrated away from aspirin in an uncertain economic environment and sought to prioritise household essentials, while turning to other categories to treat basic ailments such as…

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…

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…

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…