What Is the Health and Wellness Trend Among Chinese Consumers?

What Is the Health and Wellness Trend Among Chinese Consumers?

Over 87% of Chinese urban consumers actively prioritize health and wellness in their purchasing decisions, making China one of the world’s fastest-growing health and wellness (健康养生, jiànkāng yǎngshēng) markets, projected to exceed RMB 7 trillion (approximately USD 970 billion) by 2027. This trend spans dietary choices, fitness technology, mental wellness, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM, 中医, zhōngyī) integration, and preventative healthcare spending — representing a fundamental shift in consumer behavior that foreign brands must understand to succeed in China’s consumer market.

The Chinese health and wellness market has evolved from a niche segment into a mainstream consumer priority. According to a 2025 McKinsey Consumer Survey, 73% of Chinese consumers rank health as their top personal concern, compared to 59% globally. This shift accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and has solidified into permanent behavioral change. Foreign brands across food and beverage, personal care, apparel, fitness, and technology sectors must adapt their product formulations, marketing messaging, and distribution strategies to align with this consumer-led transformation.

Key Drivers of the Health and Wellness Boom

Several interconnected factors are driving China’s health and wellness surge. Demographic shifts play a significant role — China’s aging population (over 300 million citizens aged 60+ by 2025) has created robust demand for functional foods, dietary supplements, and preventative healthcare products. Simultaneously, younger generations — Gen Z (born 1997–2012) and Millennials — are driving premiumization in wellness categories, spending disproportionately on high-quality health products, fitness memberships, and wellness travel.

Rising disposable incomes, particularly among China’s 400 million-strong middle class, have enabled greater spending on health-related goods and services. The average Chinese urban household now allocates approximately 18% of its consumption expenditure to health and wellness, up from 12% a decade ago. Government policy has also catalyzed growth: the “Healthy China 2030” (健康中国2030, Jiànkāng Zhōngguó 2030) national strategy, launched in 2016, explicitly prioritizes preventative healthcare, nutrition improvement, and the integration of TCM into mainstream medicine, creating both regulatory tailwinds and market opportunities.

Digital transformation is another critical driver. China’s 1.1 billion mobile internet users access health information, purchase wellness products, and track personal health metrics through digital platforms. The health and wellness app market alone is expected to reach RMB 200 billion by 2026, with apps like Keep (fitness), Ping An Good Doctor (telemedicine), and Xiaohongshu (wellness content) shaping consumer behavior daily.

Functional Foods and Dietary Supplements

The functional food and dietary supplement (保健食品, bǎojiàn shípǐn) segment represents the single largest category within China’s health and wellness market, valued at approximately RMB 2.5 trillion in 2025. Chinese consumers approach functional foods differently from their Western counterparts — they view food as medicine (药食同源, yào shí tóng yuán), a concept rooted in TCM philosophy that certain foods have therapeutic properties. This cultural framework creates unique opportunities for products positioned at the intersection of nutrition and health benefit.

Key growth subcategories include:

• Probiotics and gut health — The Chinese probiotic market grew 19% year-on-year in 2025, driven by consumer awareness of the gut-brain axis and digestive health. Leading brands include Yakult, Danone, and domestic players like WonderLab (万益蓝).
• Collagen and beauty-from-within — Oral beauty products, particularly collagen peptides, have seen explosive growth with 32% CAGR since 2022. Chinese consumers spend an estimated RMB 80 billion annually on ingestible beauty products, far exceeding per-capita spending in Japan or South Korea.
• Adaptogens and stress management — Ashwagandha, rhodiola, and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) supplements are gaining traction among urban white-collar workers. Sales grew 45% year-on-year in 2025 across Tmall and JD.com platforms.
• Vitamin D and immunity blends — Post-pandemic immunity consciousness drove a 28% increase in vitamin and mineral supplement sales, with vitamin D showing the strongest growth (38% YoY) due to widespread deficiency awareness.
• TCM-derived supplements — Products containing astragalus (黄芪, huángqí), goji berries (枸杞, gǒuqǐ), and ginseng (人参, rénshēn) command premium prices and strong consumer trust, particularly among consumers aged 35+.

Foreign brands entering this segment must register their products under China’s strict health food registration system (保健食品注册与备案管理办法), which requires both safety and efficacy testing. The registration process typically takes 12–24 months and costs USD 50,000–200,000 per product. However, products classified as “ordinary food” with functional claims face different, generally less stringent, requirements.

Fitness Technology and Wearables

China’s fitness technology market has experienced remarkable growth, with the wearables segment alone reaching RMB 98 billion in sales in 2025. The shift from gym-based fitness to technology-enabled personal wellness has been dramatic — over 340 million Chinese consumers now use fitness apps or wearables, according to a 2025 iResearch report. Key players include Keep (with 40 million monthly active users), Huawei Health (70 million+ users), and Xiaomi’s Mi Band ecosystem.

The data reveals a strongly bifurcated market: premium fitness consumers (top 15% of earners in first-tier cities) spend an average of RMB 8,500 annually on fitness technology, including smart watches, smart scales, fitness mirrors, and connected exercise equipment. Mass-market consumers (tier-2 and tier-3 cities) spend approximately RMB 1,200 annually, primarily on basic fitness trackers and free-tier fitness apps. The premium segment is growing at 24% CAGR, while the mass segment grows at 11% CAGR, widening the spending gap.

Foreign wearable brands like Apple, Fitbit (now Google), and Samsung face intense competition from domestic rivals that offer comparable hardware at 30–50% lower prices, with deeper integration into China’s WeChat and Alipay ecosystems. Apple Watch holds approximately 35% of the premium segment (above RMB 3,000), but domestic brands collectively command over 60% of the total market. Foreign brands must differentiate through advanced health monitoring features (ECG, blood oxygen, stress tracking) that justify their price premium in the Chinese market.

Mental Wellness and Emotional Health

Mental wellness (心理健康, xīnlǐ jiànkāng) has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments within China’s broader health and wellness trend, driven by rising awareness among urban professionals and younger consumers. A 2025 China Mental Health Survey found that 68% of urban respondents aged 22–35 report experiencing moderate to high stress levels, and 41% have sought some form of mental wellness support — whether through apps, counseling, or wellness retreats. The mental wellness market was valued at approximately RMB 450 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach RMB 810 billion by 2028.

Meditation and mindfulness apps have seen particular success. Headspace launched in China through a strategic partnership with Alibaba Health, while domestic players like Now冥想 (Now Meditation) and Zheng念 (Zheng Mindfulness) have captured significant market share. Sleep aids — including weighted blankets, aromatherapy diffusers, melatonin supplements, and smart sleep trackers — represent a rapidly growing subcategory, with sales increasing 35% year-on-year in 2025. The Chinese sleep economy (睡眠经济, shuìmián jīngjì) alone is valued at over RMB 500 billion annually.

Employer-provided mental wellness programs are also expanding. Over 22% of foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in China now offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) that include mental health counseling, compared to 8% in 2020. This creates B2B opportunities for foreign wellness service providers, though they must partner with locally licensed psychological counseling centers to comply with China’s regulatory requirements.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Integration

The integration of TCM into modern health and wellness represents a uniquely Chinese dimension of the wellness trend. Over 76% of Chinese consumers report using TCM products or services in the past year, according to a 2025 Deloitte China Health Survey. The TCM consumer market — encompassing prepared herbal medicines, TCM health foods, acupuncture services, tuina (推拿, tuīná) massage, and TCM clinics — reached RMB 1.6 trillion in 2025 and is projected to reach RMB 2.3 trillion by 2028.

Younger consumers are driving a “new Chinese wellness” (新中式养生, xīn zhōngshì yǎngshēng) movement that blends traditional remedies with modern formats. Examples include TCM-inspired bubble teas with goji berry and red date (红枣, hóngzǎo) ingredients, ginseng-infused coffee, and collagen-packed TCM herbal jelly. These products appeal to Gen Z consumers who seek both the credibility of ancient wisdom and the convenience of modern consumption formats. Tmall’s “New Chinese Wellness” category grew 156% year-on-year in 2025, with over 8,000 new products launched.

Foreign brands can participate in this trend through partnerships with TCM ingredient suppliers, incorporation of TCM-approved functional ingredients into Western product formats, and certification under China’s health food registration system. However, foreign brands cannot make direct TCM medical claims without CNIPA-approved traditional Chinese medicine registration — a significantly more rigorous process than standard health food registration.

E-Commerce and Social Commerce Dynamics

Health and wellness products have become a dominant category on China’s e-commerce platforms. In 2025, health and wellness was the third-largest category on Tmall (behind apparel and electronics), with total gross merchandise value (GMV) exceeding RMB 600 billion. Cross-border e-commerce (跨境电子商务, kuàjìng diànzǐ shāngwù) has been particularly important for foreign health brands, with platforms like Tmall Global, JD Worldwide, and Kaola enabling foreign brands to sell directly to Chinese consumers without full onshore registration, using bonded warehouse inventory models.

Key platforms for health and wellness discovery and purchase include:

1. Tmall Global / Tmall — The dominant platform for foreign health brands, accounting for approximately 42% of cross-border health product sales. Features the “Tmall Health” (天猫健康) vertical with dedicated promotion slots for health products.
2. JD.com / JD Worldwide — Accounts for 28% of cross-border health sales, with advantages in logistics (same-day delivery in major cities) and consumer trust in product authenticity. JD’s “Healthcare” (京东健康) division also operates online pharmacy and telemedicine services.
3. Douyin (TikTok) — The fastest-growing channel for health and wellness, with 135% year-on-year GMV growth in 2025. Livestreaming by key opinion leaders (KOLs) drives discovery, particularly for functional foods and supplements. Short-video product demonstrations achieve conversion rates 3–5× higher than static product pages.
4. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) — The primary platform for wellness content and discovery, with over 200 million monthly active users searching for health tips, product reviews, and wellness routines. Over 60% of health and wellness purchasing decisions in China are influenced by Xiaohongshu content, according to a 2025 platform survey.
5. Pinduoduo — Dominant in tier-3 and tier-4 cities for value-oriented health products. Group-buying mechanics drive volume sales of supplements and basic wellness products at lower price points.

Regulatory Considerations for Foreign Brands

Foreign brands entering China’s health and wellness market face a complex regulatory landscape that varies significantly by product category. The primary regulatory frameworks include:

• Health Food Registration (保健食品注册) — Required for products making specific health function claims. Administered by SAMR’s Center for Health Food Evaluation. Requires toxicology, function, and human clinical trial data. Timeline: 12–24 months. Products registered receive a “Blue Hat” (蓝帽子, lán màozi) certification mark, which significantly increases consumer trust.
• Food Safety Law (食品安全法) — Applies to functional foods classified as ordinary foods. Requires GB 28050 nutrition labeling compliance, no disease-treatment claims, and adherence to China Food Additive Standards (GB 2760).
• Advertising Law (广告法) — Strict limitations on health product advertising. Health food advertisements require pre-approval by SAMR. Celebrity endorsements of health products face enhanced scrutiny. False or misleading claims carry fines of up to RMB 1 million.
• Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Import (跨境电商零售进口) — Allows foreign health brands to sell through registered cross-border platforms without full onshore registration, subject to the Cross-Border E-Commerce Positive List (跨境电商进口商品清单) which specifies permitted product categories.
• PIPL and Data Security — Health data collected through wearables, apps, or e-commerce interactions falls under China’s Personal Information Protection Law (个人信息保护法). Companies must obtain explicit consent, minimize data collection, and store health data on domestic servers.

Where to Go From Here

Based on what you just read:

• Ready to act? Read a step-by-step guide to registering health food products in China
• Still comparing? See a side-by-side comparison of cross-border e-commerce vs onshore registration for health brands
• Need numbers? Try an interactive calculator for health product market entry costs in China

What Is the Health and Wellness Trend Among Chinese Consumers? — first published on China Gateway 360. Last updated: July 2026.