2025 China Maternity & Baby Market Insights

Key Finding 1

China's maternity and baby online market reached CN¥ 223.78 billion in 2025, growing +12.6% year-on-year (YoY) and significantly outpacing overall market growth of +4.5%.

The acceleration reflects a structural shift toward digital channels as young parents increasingly rely on e-commerce for convenience, product variety, and peer-validated purchasing decisions. Online channel share expanded from 35.1% in 2023 to 46.1% in 2025, signalling that digital will likely surpass offline within two to three years. Annual spending per child aged 0-3 rose to CN¥ 48,000 in 2025 and is projected to reach CN¥ 72,000 by 2030, underscoring the willingness of Chinese families to invest in quality childcare products.

Key Finding 2

Maternal nutrition supplements emerged as the fastest-growing segment, with prenatal nutrition surging +37.6% YoY and maternal nutrition overall reaching CN¥ 4.13 billion (+37.6% YoY).

This growth reflects a fundamental shift in consumer mindset from "baby first" to "mother and baby equally important." Male fertility preparation discussion share on social media rose from 18.56% to 37.91%, signalling that prenatal health is becoming a shared household responsibility. Efficacy accounts for 54.16% of purchase decision weight, followed by ingredients and ease of consumption, indicating sophisticated and health-literate consumers.

Key Finding 3

Elevit (Bayer Group) dominated prenatal nutrition with CN¥ 590 million in sales (+80.7% YoY), building a stage-specific product matrix that captured over 50% of sales from active folic acid products alone.

The brand's success demonstrates that precision positioning---segmenting the pregnancy journey into four distinct stages with targeted formulations---can unlock outsized growth in a maturing market. Physician endorsements and mom-community trust networks amplified brand credibility. Meanwhile, the broader market shows clear price-tier stratification, with premium (>CN¥ 400) and mass-market (<CN¥ 200) segments coexisting and growing in parallel.