Stevia Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Stevia Market Trends and Insights

Shift in consumer preference toward natural and plant-based sweeteners

Global consumer preference is clearly shifting toward natural and plant‑based sweeteners, creating strong momentum for stevia adoption. Clean‑label mandates from major retailers are pushing suppliers to eliminate artificial sweeteners, while widespread sugar‑sweetened beverage taxes are accelerating reformulation toward zero‑calorie options. Stevia’s botanical origin gives brands a unique edge in maintaining “natural” claims under evolving EU and FDA standards, unlike synthetic alternatives. Regulatory advancements, like the FDA's GRAS approvals for steviol glycosides in May 2025, enhance trust by confirming safety and versatility ^{[1]Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Recently Published GRAS Notices and FDA Letters", fda.gov}. Leading companies such as Coca‑Cola have already reformulated flagship products with stevia to hedge against regulatory risk, and the trend is evident in the surge of new beverage launches featuring stevia compared to synthetics. This convergence of regulatory pressure, retailer mandates, and consumer demand positions stevia as a central driver in the global sweetener landscape.

Increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity

As the global prevalence of diabetes and obesity rises, stevia is emerging as a favored zero-calorie sweetener, bolstered by supportive policies. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas highlighted that in 2025, 11.1% of adults aged 20-79, equating to 1 in 9, were living with diabetes, with over 40% unaware of their condition^{[2]Source: International Diabetes Federation, "Diabetes facts and figures", idf.org}. With diabetes rates set to surge, especially in the Asia-Pacific and other developing regions, governments are tightening nutritional regulations. They've introduced front-of-pack warning labels that penalize products high in added sugars. These initiatives are reshaping purchasing habits, particularly among health-conscious millennials and Gen Z, by diminishing the shelf visibility and appeal of sugary foods. Stevia, with its zero glycemic index and non-insulin-stimulating properties, is becoming the go-to choice for reformulating diabetic-friendly and reduced-sugar products. Major food players like Nestlé and Danone are broadening their stevia-sweetened dairy and dessert lines, highlighting the direct link between rising metabolic health concerns and the growing mainstream adoption of stevia.

Expanding use of stevia in low- and zero-sugar beverages

The global stevia market is gaining strong momentum from its rapid penetration into low- and zero-sugar beverages, the fastest-growing application segment, as beverage manufacturers demand sweeteners that deliver high solubility, thermal stability, and consistent taste over extended shelf life.Recent advances—such as Ingredion’s high-dispersion Reb M solutions—have overcome earlier technical limitations like cloudiness and sedimentation, enabling stevia’s use in clear RTD formats. Leading brands such as PepsiCo and Unilever are reformulating flagship products with stevia blends to cut calories while maintaining sugar‑like sweetness, demonstrating how fermentation‑derived Reb M provides consistent performance compared to variable leaf extracts. This shift underscores stevia’s strategic role in beverage reformulation, where consumer acceptance hinges on taste parity with sugar and regulatory pressure continues to favor zero‑calorie alternatives.

Advancements in extraction/processing technologies

Advancements in extraction and processing technologies are transforming the global stevia market by making premium glycosides more cost‑effective and scalable. Techniques such as ultrasound‑assisted extraction and supercritical fluid extraction have significantly reduced processing times and energy use while improving purity levels, while membrane filtration now enables continuous purification with less waste. These innovations, combined with fermentation‑based production, have lowered the price of high‑quality Reb M, allowing mid‑tier brands to incorporate stevia into mainstream confectionery and bakery products. Ingredion's expansion of its bioconversion facility in Malaysia highlights the industry's focus on scaling advanced technologies. Patent filings for improved rebaudioside M solubility, including PureCircle's contributions, reflect efforts to enhance product quality. These innovations are increasing access to high-quality steviol glycosides, particularly Reb M and Reb D, while integrating biotechnology with traditional methods to strengthen the supply chain and meet growing global demand.

Volatility of stevia-leaf prices linked to climate and agriculture

Volatility in stevia-leaf pricing, driven by climate variability and agricultural concentration, remains a structural restraint for the global stevia market. Recurrent droughts and erratic weather in key producing regions such as Paraguay, Kenya, and China have reduced yields and degraded glycoside quality, triggering sharp increases in leaf prices and disrupting contract-based supply chains. China’s outsized role in global production further magnifies risk, as localized weather shocks can quickly translate into worldwide price spikes. Limited access to crop insurance among smallholder farmers weakens the effectiveness of long-term sourcing contracts, exposing ingredient buyers to unexpected cost escalation. As a result, multinational sweetener producers are increasingly pivoting toward fermentation-based production to stabilize supply economics and insulate margins from agricultural uncertainty.

Stringent regulatory requirements and lengthy approval processes sweeteners

Stringent and asynchronous global regulatory approval cycles remain a major restraint for the stevia market, as fragmented standards across regions slow innovation and inflate costs. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA’s) lengthy dossier requirements, Japan’s insistence on domestic toxicology studies, India’s restrictive usage caps, and Brazil’s complex traceability rules all force companies to adapt formulations market by market. This lack of harmonization prevents economies of scale, compels multinational brands to maintain multiple SKUs, and raises supply‑chain costs compared to synthetic sweeteners that benefit from unified Codex approvals. As a result, smaller biotech firms face disproportionate compliance burdens, while larger players struggle to accelerate global rollouts of next‑generation stevia blends.

Segment Analysis

By Format: Powder Maintains Market Leadership

In 2025, powder stevia holds a 94.78% market share, establishing itself as the preferred choice in food and beverage manufacturing. Powder stevia dominates due to its versatility and performance in solid and semi-solid applications. Bakery, confectionery, tabletop sweeteners, and dairy formulations rely on powdered formats for their superior shelf stability, dosing precision, and ability to replicate sugar’s bulk and texture. In applications such as frozen dairy, powders withstand mechanical stress and temperature fluctuations better than liquids. This clear functional divide underscores a format-driven market structure, where liquid stevia is optimized for beverages, while powder remains indispensable across food and tabletop applications.

Liquid stevia is emerging as the fastest-growing format segment, with a projected CAGR of 12.31% from 2026 to 2031. Beverage manufacturers intensify reformulation efforts in low- and zero-sugar drinks. Advances in solubility technology, most notably high-dispersion Reb M liquid systems, have overcome long-standing challenges such as cloudiness and sedimentation, enabling use in clear RTD beverages. These liquid concentrates integrate seamlessly into high-speed bottling lines, reducing processing time, minimizing equipment fouling, and improving flavor consistency, which has driven adoption by leading beverage players in RTD tea and functional drink portfolios. As a result, liquid stevia is expanding rapidly despite its smaller current revenue base.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Ingredient Type: Conventional Stevia Maintains Dominance

In 2025, conventional stevia commands a dominant 79.41% market share, due to its cost advantages and well-established supply chains that cater to the price-sensitive food and beverage sectors. This dominance stems from economies of scale and processing efficiencies, allowing for competitive pricing in high-volume applications. While China and India bolster conventional supply chains, disruptions such as United States tariffs and concerns over forced labor are prompting shifts in sourcing strategies. Moreover, advanced cultivation practices and technologies are optimizing yields and slashing production costs in these key regions.

Between 2026 and 2031, organic stevia is projected to witness an 11.22% CAGR. This growth is largely fueled by sustainability mandates from retailers and stringent pesticide-free sourcing demands in Europe and North America. Brands are increasingly gravitating towards organic variants, often absorbing higher farm-gate costs to achieve a clean-label and organic market stance. The expansion of certified cultivation is bolstering supply for private-label and health-centric SKUs, propelling the segment's robust growth. Yet, it's worth noting that structural supply constraints pose challenges to the scalability of organic stevia.

By Application: Beverages Dominate Market Position

In 2025, the beverages segment accounted for the largest market share at 29.84%, with a projected CAGR of 12.97% from 2026 to 2031. The segment's growth is primarily driven by regulatory initiatives, such as sugar-sweetened beverage taxes and mandatory front-of-pack labeling requirements. Leading companies, including Coca-Cola and Unilever, are reformulating flagship products with stevia blends to reduce calorie content while maintaining a sugar-like taste. These efforts demonstrate the efficient integration of liquid stevia concentrates into existing production processes with minimal capital investment. High-growth categories, such as RTD teas, sports drinks, and flavored waters, are particularly responsive, enabling beverage applications to surpass the overall market growth rate.

Manufacturers are adopting advanced processing technologies to improve taste profiles, enhancing the appeal of stevia-based products to consumers. Additionally, sugar taxation policies in key markets, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are accelerating this trend^{[3]Source: The World Health Organization, "A review of sugar-sweetened beverages taxation in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates", emro.who.int}. In these regions, a 50% excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages has significantly reduced consumption and contributed to lower obesity rates, creating a favorable environment for stevia adoption.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

In 2025, the Asia-Pacific region holds a 31.05% share of the global stevia market and is projected to grow at a 11.94% CAGR from 2026 to 2031. Growth is fueled by China’s dual role as the largest producer and a rising importer of premium Reb M concentrates. Multinational brands are localizing zero‑sugar portfolios to target China’s vast diabetic population, while India’s regulatory approval of steviol glycosides has opened new opportunities despite restrictive usage caps. Japan remains a mature market with long‑standing consumer acceptance, and emerging economies such as Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea are accelerating adoption through government‑led sugar‑reduction campaigns.

North America and Europe together account for a significant share of global stevia demand, with growth centered on clean-label and regulatory-compliant reformulation. Accelerated approvals for next-generation steviol glycosides in the United States are enabling wider use in carbonated beverages, while European markets continue to expand despite fragmented labeling rules that complicate fermentation-derived stevia positioning.

South America and the Middle East and Africa play strategically distinct roles in the global stevia ecosystem. South America functions mainly as a supply hub, led by Paraguay’s export-oriented cultivation and Brazil’s evolving regulatory framework, while domestic consumption remains comparatively limited.