Summary:
China fish oil market, driven by youth demand and high-purity tech, hit RMB 4.6B in 2023, forecast to reach 6.1B in 2025 (12%+ CAGR). Food-grade products (65.7%) lead, fueled by Omega-3 health awareness. Young consumers (25–35, 60% buyers) drive growth via functional formulas and social media marketing. Exports surge (e.g., Sichuan +107.6% in 2025 Q1), as the industry shifts from feed-grade to high-value food/pharmaceutical uses, leveraging tech like 98% purity extraction. Transition to “precision nutrition” solidifies its role as a dietary supplements growth engine.
I. China Fish Oil Market Overview: Youth-Driven Growth & Key Category Momentum
Steady Market Expansion
China's dietary supplements market continues to grow alongside the rising momentum of the health industry, with fish oil as a core category driving significant incremental growth. According to data from Zhongshang Intelligence Network, the market size of China's fish oil refining and concentration industry reached RMB 4.6 billion in 2023, is expected to increase to RMB 5.5 billion in 2024 and RMB 6.1 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 12%. Food-grade fish oil (accounting for 65.7%), fueled by consumers’ growing awareness of Omega-3’s health benefits—such as cardiovascular protection and mood regulation—has become the primary growth driver. Meanwhile, feed-grade fish oil (34.3%) maintains demand driven by the stable development of the livestock industry.
Younger Demographics as a New Consumption Engine
New brands are penetrating the young market through R&D innovation and targeted marketing:
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Product Development: Addressing young people’s needs for mood management and cognitive enhancement, brands launch compound-formula products. For example, CreNeuroS’ "CNS Mood Fish Oil Plus" incorporates ingredients like active folic acid, vitamin D, and zinc, improving depressive symptoms by regulating neurotransmitters. It ranked second on JD.com’s new fish oil product surge list in its first month of launch.
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Marketing Breakthrough: Leveraging social platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, brands engage users through youth-oriented topics such as "stress relief," "workplace health," and "brain health for students." The #CNS Mood Fish Oil# topic garnered over 351,000 views on Xiaohongshu and 637,600 views on Weibo, creating viral social effects.
II. 2025 Fish Oil Industry Trends: High-Purity Technology & Functional Market Expansion
Product Upgrade Trends
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High-Purity Technological Breakthroughs: Brands like MegaGold introduce EPA fish oil with 98.6% purity, while Chinese enterprises in Sichuan Shifang have increased purity from 50% to 98%, targeting the pharmaceutical-grade markets in Europe and the U.S.
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Scenario Segmentation: Beyond traditional cardiovascular health, fish oil is expanding into niche areas such as mood management, sports recovery (alleviating joint inflammation), and maternal and infant nutrition (DHA supplementation for pregnant women), aligning with the diverse needs of young consumers.
Market Demand Support
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Domestic Demand: The 2023 National Depression Blue Book indicates that China’s 95 million depression patients have a strong need for gentle nutritional supplements, driving growth in mood-health fish oil products. Meanwhile, Generation Z’s focus on "punk wellness" (combining indulgence with health) has boosted sales of portable formats like mini capsules and soluble granules.
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Export Growth: In the first two months of 2025, Sichuan’s fish oil export value reached RMB 200 million, a year-on-year increase of 107.6%, ranking first nationwide. High-purity pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is gaining competitiveness in international markets.
III. Q1 2025 Fish Oil Industry Data: Production, Exports & Consumer Demand Insights
Production and Trade
Global Supply: Global fish oil production increased by 71% year-on-year in January 2025, primarily driven by a 300% output surge in Peru. China relies short-term on imported frozen fish and sardines for raw material supply.
Domestic Trade: As a major export hub, Sichuan’s export volume reached RMB 200 million in the first two months, with a growth rate exceeding 100%, highlighting "China Refining"’s role in the global supply chain. Imports of high-purity Omega-3 raw materials continue to rise, supporting local R&D for premium products.
Industrial and Consumption Data
Feed-Grade Demand: In 2024, China’s aquatic and pig feed production fell by 3.5% and 3.9% respectively, but food-grade fish oil grew against the trend due to upgraded consumer demand, with a 2023 market size of RMB 3.005 billion, accounting for nearly 70%.
End-User Sales: Platform data from JD.com shows that in March 2025, sales of composite-function fish oil (e.g., "mood + eye care," "Omega-3 + vitamin D") increased by 20% month-on-month, with an average price between RMB 150–300. Young consumers aged 25–35 account for over 60% of buyers.
IV. Fish Oil Value Chain Analysis: Upstream to Downstream
Opportunities & Technological Upgrades
China’s fish oil industrial chain, centered on "raw material import – deep processing – diversified applications," comprises three key links. Technological upgrades and market demand at each stage drive the industry’s transition from feed-grade to high-value food and pharmaceutical-grade sectors.
Upstream: Raw Material Fishing and Crude Fish Oil Supply
Global Raw Material Landscape: South American countries like Peru and Chile account for ~60% of global crude fish oil production. In 2024, Peru’s north-central anchovy fishing season exceeded 98% of the quota, boosting global fish oil production by 10.8% year-on-year. Due to limited offshore fishery resources, China imports over 70% of its crude fish oil, mainly from Peru and Iceland.
Raw Material Processing: Crude fish oil undergoes preliminary filtration to remove impurities. Containing free fatty acids and heavy metals, it requires refining steps—such as degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization—to meet food-grade standards.
Midstream: Refining, Concentration, and Technological Barriers
Technical Hierarchy:
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Basic Refining (Feed-Grade): Physical filtration and acid-base neutralization remove impurities, achieving EPA+DHA purity ≤25%. Used mainly in aquatic and livestock feed, this segment had a 2023 market size of RMB 1.571 billion (34.3%).
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Deep Concentration (Food/Pharmaceutical-Grade): Technologies like molecular distillation and supercritical extraction increase purity to 30%–98%. Sichuan Xinmeijia Biomedical, for example, uses three-stage molecular distillation to achieve over 97% purity, meeting European and American pharmaceutical standards.
Production Capacity: Regional clusters have formed around enterprises like Zhejiang Xingye Group, Sichuan Xinmeijia, and Gaolong Marine. Xingye processes over 100,000 tons of marine health food annually, with fish oil sales reaching RMB 500 million. Sichuan Deyang, leveraging purification technology, exported RMB 168 million worth of fish oil in the first two months of 2025, accounting for 84% of the province’s total and ranking first nationally.
Downstream: Diversified Application Scenarios
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Feed-Grade Market (34.3%): Used in high-end aquaculture for eels and salmon, with a 2023 market size of RMB 1.571 billion, maintaining demand with stable global livestock growth.
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Food-Grade Market (65.7%): Core applications include dietary supplements (e.g., fish oil capsules) and functional foods (e.g., Omega-3 fortified milk powder), with a 2023 market size of RMB 3.005 billion and a CAGR exceeding 12%.
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Pharmaceutical-Grade Market: High-purity EPA (≥90%) is used in cardiovascular disease treatment. China’s first EPA ethyl ester drug was approved in 2023, with a potential market exceeding RMB 33 billion.
V. Conclusion: China Fish Oil Market Enters the Golden Age of "Precision Nutrition"
Driven by young consumers’ health awareness, technological upgrades (high-purity extraction, compound formulas), and globalized division of labor (export processing), China’s fish oil market is transitioning from "basic health care" to "precision functional nutrition" in 2025. The surge in exports (e.g., Sichuan +107.6% year-on-year) and hot sales of segmented products in February–March validate the industry’s dual potential in R&D (mood management, pharmaceutical-grade) and market expansion (youth orientation, internationalization). The annual market size is projected to reach RMB 6.1 billion, continuing to lead the dietary supplements segment.
Data Sources: CCM More information can be found at CCM fish oil China Monthly Report.
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