US retail sales of plant-based foods held roughly steady at $7.9 billion in 2025, compared to $8 billion the previous year, according to new regional data from the Plant Based Foods Institute (PBFI) and the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA). The figure still represents more than double the $3.3 billion the category recorded in 2018.
The 2025 Regional Retail Insights report draws on SPINS retail and consumer panel data across all four US census regions. Sixty percent of US households purchased plant-based foods at least once in 2025, with 78% returning for repeat purchases.
Regional breakdown
The Midwest was the only region to grow in dollar terms in 2025, up 2.4% year-on-year, and posted the fastest household penetration gains nationally. Nebraska led all states with plant-based dairy household penetration growth of 11.7%, followed by North Dakota at 10.2%.
The South remains the largest regional market, accounting for 36% of all US plant-based food dollars, including 37 cents of every dollar spent on plant-based milk. The West leads on loyalty, with a repeat rate of 81.4% and household penetration of 67.3%, the highest of any region.
Flexitarians dominate the category
Across all regions, at least 95% of plant-based meat shoppers also purchase conventional meat. The report puts this flexitarian segment at roughly 14 million households and identifies it as the primary growth audience for the category.
The report also flags a structural gap between domestic agriculture and plant-based food producers, with a significant share of ingredients still sourced internationally. PBFI has been working to address this through its Sustainable Sourcing Initiative, launched in 2021.
Sanah Baig, PBFI executive director, stated, “Consumers across every region of the US are already voting for plant-based foods with their grocery dollars. American farmers, processors, and manufacturers can, and should, be the ones that supply them. A thriving domestic plant-based sector means better foods for consumers, new markets for farmers, and a more resilient food system for everyone.”
