Food trends in the Netherlands and Belgium - statistics & facts
The food markets in the Netherlands and Belgium are closely related. The two neighboring countries share more than just a language – they are also major trade partners. For instance, Belgium ranks second in the top list of import countries for Dutch vegetables. In the other trade direction, the Netherlands is an avid importer of Belgian beer. Dutch liquor stores, bars, and supermarkets import roughly 3.6 million hectoliters of Belgian speciaalbier annually. With palates so similar in the two countries, it is no surprise that the Netherlands and Belgium also share several food trends.
Food products that are produced in organic and sustainable ways are gaining ground in the Benelux. In 2023, the average Belgian consumer spent 101 euros on organic products. This was almost triple the amount of 2013, indicating rapid annual growth. The average Dutch consumer spent slightly less on organic products . In both counties, the most bought organic food product were eggs. Organic egg sales made up close to 18 percent of all egg sales in the Netherlands in 2023, and slightly less in Belgium. However, there are also differences between these two countries. For instance, the share of organic bread was approximately four times higher in Belgium than in the Netherlands.
Much like in the rest of the world, meat consumption is facing criticism in the Netherlands and Belgium. Consumers are more conscious about environmental protection, animal welfare, and personal health, and therefore an increasingly larger number is embracing a spectrum of different meatless diets. The flexitarian diet, which still includes meat but at a consciously-reduced consumption rate, was the most popular diet in the Netherlands in 2024. Depending on the age group, roughly 13 to 21 percent of the population followed a flexitarian diet. Naturally, the more restrictive the diet, the fewer its followers: in 2024, a mere three percent of adults both in the Netherlands and Belgium said to be vegan. Nevertheless, plant-based alternatives to animal products are becoming increasingly popular in supermarkets.
Rising prices are influencing the food market in the Netherlands and Belgium. In both countries, the inflation rate started progressively rising in 2022 until peaking in March 2023 when it reached about 18 percent, a striking increase compared to the same month one year before. Since then, the inflation rate has been decreasing, but in the meantime consumers have adjusted their buying behavior. Most Dutch consumers indicated doing so in 2024, and 45 percent among them stated buying discounted products more often. Moreover, private labels increasingly gained ground over name brands, accounting for an unprecedented market share of 41 percent in 2023 and 2024 in Belgium.
Organic is becoming the new normal
Food products that are produced in organic and sustainable ways are gaining ground in the Benelux. In 2023, the average Belgian consumer spent 101 euros on organic products. This was almost triple the amount of 2013, indicating rapid annual growth. The average Dutch consumer spent slightly less on organic products . In both counties, the most bought organic food product were eggs. Organic egg sales made up close to 18 percent of all egg sales in the Netherlands in 2023, and slightly less in Belgium. However, there are also differences between these two countries. For instance, the share of organic bread was approximately four times higher in Belgium than in the Netherlands.
Meatless diets are increasingly popular
Much like in the rest of the world, meat consumption is facing criticism in the Netherlands and Belgium. Consumers are more conscious about environmental protection, animal welfare, and personal health, and therefore an increasingly larger number is embracing a spectrum of different meatless diets. The flexitarian diet, which still includes meat but at a consciously-reduced consumption rate, was the most popular diet in the Netherlands in 2024. Depending on the age group, roughly 13 to 21 percent of the population followed a flexitarian diet. Naturally, the more restrictive the diet, the fewer its followers: in 2024, a mere three percent of adults both in the Netherlands and Belgium said to be vegan. Nevertheless, plant-based alternatives to animal products are becoming increasingly popular in supermarkets.
Consumers adjust to food inflation
Rising prices are influencing the food market in the Netherlands and Belgium. In both countries, the inflation rate started progressively rising in 2022 until peaking in March 2023 when it reached about 18 percent, a striking increase compared to the same month one year before. Since then, the inflation rate has been decreasing, but in the meantime consumers have adjusted their buying behavior. Most Dutch consumers indicated doing so in 2024, and 45 percent among them stated buying discounted products more often. Moreover, private labels increasingly gained ground over name brands, accounting for an unprecedented market share of 41 percent in 2023 and 2024 in Belgium.
