Wellness Market Gaps Persist Despite Product Boom
A McKinsey report finds around 40% of consumers globally say their wellness needs remain unmet.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Wellness
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McKinsey's Future of Wellness 2027 report, based on a survey of more than 10,000 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and China, finds around 40% of consumers globally report unmet wellness needs. The findings come as the global wellness market is valued at $2.7 trillion.
Why it matters
The gap between product proliferation and consumer satisfaction suggests that more health claims on store shelves are not translating into fulfilled needs. The report also points to evidence-based claims as a factor in purchasing decisions.
Around 40% of consumers globally report unmet wellness needs, based on a survey of more than 10,000 people across four countries. The share of new US consumer packaged goods launches carrying a health or wellness claim rose from 24% in 2021 to a third through September 2026, and the report does not say which needs remain unmet.
The players
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm that publishes research through its McKinsey Health Institute.
The details
McKinsey's report links the rise in health-claim product launches with a consumer base that remains unsatisfied, and it highlights the role of scientific evidence in purchasing decisions. Consumers in the top-spending groups, described as 'maximalist optimizers' and 'confident enthusiasts,' make up 35% of wellness consumers and account for 55% of spending. High-spending consumers were 11 percentage points more likely to say they intended to buy a longevity product when shown evidence of its effectiveness.
Timeline
2021: 24% of new US consumer packaged goods launches carried at least one health or wellness claim.
Through September 2026: A third of new US consumer packaged goods launches carried at least one health or wellness claim.
November 10, 2026: McKinsey published the Future of Wellness 2027 report.
Health Landscape
The report extends McKinsey Health Institute research on how scientific evidence shapes purchasing decisions into the consumer wellness market. It frames the growth of health-claim product launches against a survey finding that many consumers still feel their needs are not being met.
Consumers choosing wellness products may weigh the evidence behind health claims more carefully, since the report links evidence to purchase intent. The findings suggest that a product's stated benefits and supporting research may matter more to buyers than the sheer number of options on shelves.
The takeaway
Before buying a wellness product, check whether its health claim is backed by evidence you can actually review. The report's finding that evidence raises purchase intent suggests that verifying claims is a practical way to spend wellness dollars more effectively.
Further reading
For more on how consumers approach wellness products, see Wellness.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NutraIngredients.
Live Poll
Do you trust that wellness products on store shelves deliver the benefits they claim?
