According to the International Diabetes Federation, China is witnessing a significant increase in the proportion of the diabetic population. Based on the latest statistics, the number of people with diabetes in China is estimated to be 1 in 10 out of Chinese adults. Furthermore, the proportion is expected to increase at a significant rate for both the male and female in the coming years. As China has become modernized, the inactive lifestyle favored by western people has penetrated into Chinese culture, leading to less exercise and more eating and high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by the consumers. Thus consumers have adopted artificial sweeteners due to increasing awareness of risks associated with diabetes in China. 

The demand for HIS (High-Intensity Sweeteners) is likely to increase significantly over the next five years. However, the international markets are the primary sources of revenue for the Chinese HIS manufacturers. Xylitol is widely approved for use in food around China. It is also extensively approved for use in oral hygiene products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and toiletries. The interest in xylitol has increased considerably in recent years, due to many commercial applications in different industrial sectors like food, dental related products, and pharmaceuticals. As xylitol is costly, it currently represents a small fraction of the market share. The growth driver for xylitol (as for other low-calorie sweeteners), is the growing number of diabetes in China.