This Report Provides In-Depth Analysis of the Enteral Nutrition Market Report Prepared by P&S Intelligence, Segmented by Product Type (Standard, Disease-Specific), Nutrition Type (Proteins, Carbohydrates, Multi Vitamins, Antioxidants, Amino Acids, Fibers, Minerals), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies), Form (Powder, Liquid), Patient Type (Adults, Pediatric), and Geographical Outlook for the Period of 2019 to 2032
Explore the market potential with our data-driven report
Enteral Nutrition Market Future Prospects
The global enteral nutrition market size is USD 8.3 billion in 2024, and it is projected to reach USD 13.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% during 2025–2032. This growth can be attributed to the growing geriatric population, surging number of victims of malnutrition receiving treatment, and lower cost of products.
This is the most preferred way of feeding infants who are vulnerable to disease and death, due to undernutrition and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, an increase in awareness about the advantages of early enteral feeding, which reduces septic and non-septic complications and improves clinical outcomes of critically ill and injured patients, is expected to boost the market growth over the years.
Moreover, shifting preference from parenteral nutrition to enteral is another major factor driving the market, as it is gaining popularity over the years, owing to the improvement in techniques, compositions, and materials. Parenteral is a less preferred technique due to its higher complication rate and cost. However, parenteral nutrition is preferred only when patients are unable to tolerate enteral procedures. This has shifted the interest of players providing clinical nutrition from parenteral nutrition to enteral, which is also is being preferred for long-term feeding in old age patients, thereby fueling the product demand in the market.
Enteral Nutrition Market Trends and Growth Drivers
Consumption by Diabetics Is Trending in Market
This can be mainly attributed to the fact that diabetes leads to many complications, which include heart and blood vessel diseases, including stroke, high blood pressure, and narrowing of the blood vessels (atherosclerosis), and nerve damage (neuropathy) in the limbs.
Moreover, diabetes significantly increases the risk of hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, hypoglycemia, and fast shift to catabolism upon starvation.
In these cases, patients might suffer from inadequate nutrition due to their inability to consume food, thus creating a need for enteral nutrition.
Thus, with the growing incidence of diabetes, the demand for these products will increase in order to feed patients who are at the critical stage of this disease.
For instance, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), there were approximately 537 million adults (20–79 years) with diabetes in 2021, and this number is projected to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045.
Growing Incidence of Malnutrition Is Key Market Driver
Malnutrition is a serious global concern, and distinct governments and international organizations are making efforts to eradicate the problem.
As per the World Health Organization, almost 150 children aged less than 5 are too short, 45 million are too thin, and 37 million are obese.
One-third of females of reproductive age are anemic, while 39% of people worldwide are fat or overweight.
Around 20 million newborn kids are born each year who are overweight.
It is one of the common issues that exist in all countries.
Thus, government backing, combined with rising incidences of malnutrition worldwide, is projected to drive the market growth in the forecast period.
The high incidence of infectious and chronic diseases, which are often critical, offers a vast opportunity for research initiatives to develop innovative medical technologies.
Low manufacturing cost advantages are expected to encourage market players to invest in the APAC region in the coming years.
Additionally, governments are putting in efforts to curb malnutrition, which is creating an opportunity for the growth of the market.
In the case of administration through feeding tubes, single nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, are administered to treat specific deficiencies or combined with other powders to satisfy nutritional requirements.
The WHO has taken an initiative, “Global Nutrition Target 2025”, to improve maternal, infant, and young child nutrition, especially for infants and toddlers affected by malnutrition.
Lack of Awareness and Reimbursement Hampers Market Growth
The key restraint for the enteral feeding market is the lack of awareness of these products and their benefits among patients, as well as healthcare providers.
These products are necessary for those who cannot eat on their own, such as critically ill people, those under anesthesia, infants, and the elderly; however, caretakers in developing countries often do not know of these products.
Even doctors in many poor countries lack training on enterally feeding the critically ill, which is why they often end up doing more harm than benefit.
For instance, forcing thick meals through narrow PEG tubes can lead to clogging, requiring repeated aspirations of the stomach.
Additionally, X-rays are used to guide the feeding tube inside the stomach or the small intestine, and if done carelessly, the procedure can expose patients to excessive amounts of ionizing radiation.
Further, developing counties lack a proper framework for providing reimbursements in enteral feeding formulae devices, and services.
Although these products are vital for several groups of people, the lack of awareness means that they are not considered absolutely essential in the medical insurance reimbursement policies of several developing countries.
Enteral Nutrition Market Analysis
Insights by Product Type
The standard enteral nutrition category holds the larger revenue share in 2024, of 70%. This is primarily driven by the widespread acceptance of regular protein diets, since it is one of the most preferred compositions suggested for patients suffering from diabetes, cancer, and other disorders that make it difficult to consume solid meals. The introduction of typical protein-rich products is meeting the market demand. Furthermore, there has been a significant increase in the need for products derived from organic sources, resulting in the rising demand for conventional protein diets.
The disease-specific category is set to witness the higher CAGR because different diseases cause different nutritional deficiencies. Hence, to maximize the effect of therapy, standard formulae are not viable. Further, with the increasing focus on personalized medicine, enteral nutrition products are being created after studying individual patients’ diseases and genomes.
The following product types are part of the scope:
Standard (Larger Category)
Disease-Specific (Faster-Growing Category)
Insights by Nutrition Type
Protein nutrients hold the largest market share, and they will also grow the fastest, with 6.5% CAGR, during the forecast period. This is due to the increasing consumer awareness regarding balanced diets across the world. The increased demand for protein nutrients is driven by socio-economic changes such as rising disposable income, the aging population, and the recognition of the role of protein in a healthy diet.
Furthermore, economic development and rapid urbanization are leading to major transitions in population-level dietary patterns in emerging countries in particular, such that most of the increased demand for foods of animal origin is seen in developing nations.
Here are the nutrition types considered in the study:
Proteins (Largest and Fastest-Growing Category)
Carbohydrates
Multi Vitamins
Antioxidants
Amino Acids
Fibers
Minerals
Others
Insights by Distribution Channel
The hospital pharmacies category account for the biggest revenue share, of 55%, in 2024, and it is expected to dominate the market in the coming years as well. This is due to the increased number of inpatients and outpatients in hospitals, as well as patients' preference for hospital pharmacies.
The prices of pharmaceuticals in hospital pharmacies are lower as compared to other distribution channels, and customers are free to negotiate with hospital officials based on their budget. Also, easy access to these pharmacies is a major driver to boosting the sales of pharmaceutical products, thereby driving the growth of the market.
The online pharmacies category is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This can be because the enhanced patient-provider communication and promotional campaigns are projected to increase the online delivery of enteral feeding products for short- and long-term care among critical patients. Also, it provides comfort to patients with the delivery of essentials to their place of stay.
The report includes insights on these distribution channels:
Hospital Pharmacies (Largest Category)
Retail Pharmacies
Online Pharmacies (Fastest-Growing Category)
Insights by Form
The liquid form category dominates the market, and it is expected to grow at the higher CAGR during the forecast period. The liquid form of these products is a ready-to-use or instant nutrition formula available in prefilled, ready-to-hang containers and specially designed cans for tube feeding. Before being boosted or pierced with a feeding set, these packages can be kept at room temperature. The rapid absorption of the formula by the gastric walls, resulting in a quicker metabolic rate, is one of the significant benefits of taking these products in a liquid form.
We have analyzed the below-mentioned forms:
Powder
Liquid (Larger and Faster-Growing Category)
Insights by Patient Type
The adult patients bifurcation dominates the market with 75% share, and it is predicted to grow faster in the coming years. Furthermore, patients with a body mass index of <20 are considered chronically ill and typically suffer from cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory issues, and neurological or psychiatric disorders. These patients are at high risk for malnutrition, and such factor stimulates the growth of the market in this category. The absorption capacities of the human digestive framework reduce with age, making it difficult for the body to retain all of the needed nutrients from food. Appetite loss is a typical problem among the elderly. As a result, elderly persons do not receive adequate amounts of vitamins. The primary issues among the older population that require nutritional assistance include bone degeneration, poor digestive structure, immobility, and chronic and degenerative disorders. Thus, the senior population is increasingly reliant on nutrition supplements to keep active, which further drives the growth of the enteral nutrition market.
The segment is bifurcated as follow:
Adults (Larger and Faster-Growing Category)
Pediatric
Drive strategic growth with comprehensive market analysis
Enteral Nutrition Market Geographical Outlook
North America hold the largest revenue share, of 45%, in 2024 in the market. This is due to the well-established healthcare industry and the presence of a large number of product manufacturers in the region. Moreover, the increased use of nutritional products and the rise in the number of patients with chronic diseases have boosted the demand for nutrition products in North America.
Furthermore, an increase in the number of patients suffering from gastrointestinal disorders in the U.S. drives the adoption of tube nutrition. For instance, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion report, chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in the U.S., i.e., 7 out of 10 deaths per year.
In addition, Europe accounts for the second-largest share of the market. The increasing aging population, high incidence of cancer, and high birth rates in countries, such as the U.K. and France, are driving the growth of the market in the region.
Geographically, the APAC region is projected to witness the fastest growth in the enteral nutrition market, with 7% CAGR. This is owing to the increase in the population suffering from cancer, neurological disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and other chronic conditions, rise in the geriatric population in emerging economies, development of the R&D sector, rise in healthcare reforms, and technological advancements in enteral nutrition products. Moreover, the surge in the focus of leading manufacturers on expanding their geographical presence in the emerging economies of the region, to capture a large market share, is expected to drive the growth of the enteral nutrition market in APAC.
The enteral nutrition market is fragmented as a large number of companies offer these products. Further, although these products are tested for quality before approval, the regulatory criteria is not as strict as for pharmaceuticals. Additionally, different formulations are required for different age groups and indications, and since no company offers everything, the market displays fragmentation. This also allows local and regional companies to compete with globally operating nutrition and pharmaceutical companies. Moreover, since these products are similar to normal food, the entry barriers in this market are not as high. Another reason for the consolidation is that while healthcare facilities generally buy in bulk under long-term contracts with established companies, individuals often prefer local firms, which offer cost-effective products.
Major Companies in Enteral Nutrition Market:
Abbott Laboratories
B. Braun SE
Danone S.A.
Nestl? S.A.
Fresenius Kabi AG
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC
Global Health Products Inc.
Hormel Foods Corporation
Meiji Holdings Co. Ltd.
Victus Inc.
Kate Farms Inc.
Ajinomoto Co. Inc.
Enteral Nutrition Market News
In August 2024, Abbott Laboratories announced that its expanded Pure Bliss infant formulae line now contains organic ingredients and that it is Made in Europe and available in all major retail chains across the U.S.
In May 2024, Danone S.A. acquired whole foods tube feeding business Functional Formularies from Swander Pace Capital.
In February 2024, Fresenius Kabi AG extended its collaboration with European Society for Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) to advance research and training in intensive care.
In May 2023, Nestlé S.A. operationalized its Institute of Agricultural Sciences to offer sustainable food products.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Report
How much is the enteral nutrition market value in 2025?+
The 2024 value of the market for enteral nutrition products is USD 8.3 billion.
Which product type generates the higher enteral nutrition industry revenue?+
Standard products witness the higher sales in the enteral nutrition industry.
What is the competition analysis of the enteral nutrition market?+
The market is fragmented in nature.
What is the largest enteral nutrition industry based on region?+
The region segment of the enteral nutrition industry is led by North America.
Where can enteral nutrition market players find growth opportunities?+
Lucrative growth opportunities for the companies in the market for enteral nutrition products are available in emerging economies, especially those in APAC.
Leading companies across industries trust us to deliver data-driven insights and innovative solutions for their most critical decisions. From data-driven strategies to actionable insights, we empower the decision-makers who shape industries and define the future. From Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are proud to partner with organisations that drive progress in their industries.
Client Testimonials
Working with P&S Intelligence and their team was an absolute pleasure – their awareness of timelines and commitment to value greatly contributed to our project's success. Eagerly anticipating future collaborations.
McKinsey & Company
India
Unmatched Standards
Our insights into the minutest levels of the markets, including the latest trends and competitive landscape, give you all the answers you need to take your business to new heights
Complete Data Security
We take a cautious approach to protecting your personal and confidential information. Trust is the strongest bond that connects us and our clients, and trust we build by complying with all international and domestic data protection and privacy laws