Today, young consumers in China have become a major force in health consumption, opening up new commercial spaces for personalization and quality, driving new consumer growth.

Once almost the exclusive domain of middle-aged and elderly consumers, the health sector is now seeing young people jump on the "health bandwagon" with gusto.

Zhou Jiamin, a resident in her 20s in Xinjiang new district, Yingtan, east China's Jiangxi Province, is already well-versed in wellness practices. Rather than indulging in bubble tea or cakes, she regularly prepares nutritious homemade soups like red bean soups with Chinese pearl barley and snow fungus soups with pear. She also looks to completely avoid foods like barbecue and fried foods. Her lifestyle—combining online purchases of low-calorie, low-fat functional foods with a healthy diet and proper exercise—gives her a sense of lightness and vitality that she's committed to maintaining.

The booming interest in personal health and the high demand for health products among young consumers have created massive market opportunities for manufacturers, who are pulling out all the stops to meet this demand with innovative products.

Recently, health supplements designed to alleviate fatigue and improve sleep quality have been gaining attention among young demographics.

"Health consumption needs fresh concepts," said Zhang Xuegang, chairman of Beijing Jiahua Biotechnology Co., Ltd., adding that the company's traditional Chinese medicine-based health drinks have become a hit with young consumers.

Market research indicates that compared to previous generations, post-90s and post-00s consumers focus more on prevention and maintenance, taking their health regimens extremely seriously.

Zhang Yongjian, director of the Research Center for Development and Regulation of Food and Drug Industry under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, attributes this trend to factors like better material conditions, higher education levels, easier access to health information, and the increased reporting of chronic diseases affecting younger people. All these factors have prompted more young people to proactively manage their health to achieve a higher quality of life.

Statistics released by Meituan and Dianping, two Chinese shopping platforms for locally found consumer products and retail services, indicate that since late 2024, searches for "healthy hotpot" have skyrocketed, with users aged 25-30 showing the most interest.

Young people's increasingly refined, diverse, and convenient health consumption habits have boosted the development of China's health industry. According to a report on consumption trends in the health industry issued by the China Consumers Association last year, the total revenue of the sector was projected to reach a staggering 9 trillion yuan ($1.24 trillion) in 2024.

The younger generation's focus on health isn't limited only to what they are consuming, but also how they're spending their free time.

People exercise with smart fitness devices at a park in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

As China promotes extensive public fitness activities, young people are showing a rising interest in fitness. The China Outdoor Sports Industry Development Report (2023-2024) released by the General Administration of Sport of China reveals that outdoor sports enthusiasts maintain high annual spending levels, with an average of 2,000-5,000 yuan for individual categories of outdoor sports. The post-80s and post-90s generations form the core of outdoor sports enthusiasts.

Meituan data indicates that since late last year, searches for sports and fitness have surged 70 percent year on year, with users aged 20-30 accounting for nearly 60 percent of searches. Monthly membership cards, 24-hour gyms, and self-service gyms are particularly popular among young people on the platform. Among emerging sports favored by young people under 30, tennis, rock climbing, and billiards rank as the top three in terms of growth rate.

Another report reveals a telling shift in young consumers' spending priorities: the percentage willing to increase spending on travel (36.5 percent) and education (23.1 percent) significantly exceeds those on clothing (16.2 percent) and beauty products (13.7 percent). An increasing number of young people are choosing to relax through travel and nourish their minds through learning, aiming to pursue a more balanced and self-consistent mental state.

The emphasis on mental health consumption is an essential component of people's pursuit of a better life, said Zhu Di, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Zhu added that more and more young people pay more attention to personal and family well-being, demonstrating their growing emphasis on mental health as part of a new consumer mindset.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)

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