The European frozen fruit and vegetable market continues to grow, with Eastern Europe reaching USD2.53bn in 2024 while Western Europe leads with a market size of USD12.43bn.
Though growth is moderating in both regions, the per capita spending gap between East and West signals strong growth potential in emerging markets. Meanwhile, fresh produce consumption in the EU is projected to remain stable or grow through 2035, with varied trends across fruit types and consumer preferences.
Euromonitor data reveals that the Eastern European market for frozen processed fruit and vegetables reached USD2.53bn in 2024, representing a 7.4% year-on-year growth from 2023 (USD2.36bn). Looking ahead, the market is projected to expand to USD2.64bn in 2025, though at a more moderate growth rate of 4.4%. This deceleration in growth suggests a maturing market that continues to expand but at a more sustainable pace.
Western Europe’s market for frozen processed fruit and vegetables substantially outperforms its Eastern European counterpart, valued at USD12.43bn in 2024. This represents a 4.9% increase from 2023’s USD11.84bn. The market is expected to grow to USD12.88bn in 2025, with growth moderation to 3.7%. Despite the slowing growth rate, the sheer size of this market presents significant opportunities for industry players.
The per capita consumption figures highlight significant regional disparities: Eastern Europeans spent USD8.1 per person on frozen fruit and vegetables in 2024, expected to rise to USD8.5 in 2025, while Western Europeans spent significantly more at USD24.0 per person in 2024. (projected to reach USD24.8 in 2025). These substantial differences in per capita consumption between regions highlight potential growth opportunities in Eastern European markets, where consumer spending on frozen foods has considerable room to increase toward Western European levels.
New US Legislation Aims to Expand Access to Frozen Produce
The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) has recently expressed strong support for new bipartisan legislation introduced in both chambers of Congress aimed at broadening access to frozen fruits and vegetables through federal nutrition incentive programs.
The proposed Supporting All Healthy Options When Purchasing Produce (SHOPP) Act, introduced on March 3, seeks to update existing US Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies that currently favor fresh produce, potentially reshaping how millions of low-income Americans shop for healthy food.
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