11 Most Popular Snacks In The World

You may be surprised to discover that the 11 most popular snacks in the world are top-heavy with healthier snacking options than you might otherwise suspect. Given the growing propensity consumers have for snacking, it’s not surprising that they’re increasingly reaching for healthy snack choices.

The global healthy snack market is expected to grow to $32.8 billion by 2025 according to a May report released by Grand View Research Inc. Cereal bars and nuts & seeds are expected to experience some of the strongest growth in the segment in the coming years. Europe and Asia, where snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables is popular, are expected to be leading regions of growth for the healthy snack market.

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The Grand View report cited General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS), Mondelez International Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ), PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP), Nestle SA Reg Shs. Ser. B Spons (ADR) (OTCMKTS:NSRGY), B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE:BGS), and Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) as being some of the biggest names in the healthy snack food market. It noted that General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) recently launched a new series of products focused on healthy snacks. Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC), Unilever NV (ADR) (NYSE:UN), and Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) are some of the other major snack brands.

In terms of global snack sales, North America and Europe currently account for well over half of the global market, which stood at $374 billion in value as of 2014. Snack food consumption statistics also vary widely by region, as well as by gender. In terms of the latter, women outsnack men in each of the 11 most popular snacks in the world, including by wide margins in chocolate, yogurt, fruits, and vegetables. Certain regions are much more prone to certain snacks than others, including Latin America’s love for ice cream, and North America’s passion for chips.

The younger generations are also driving new snacking trends, including consuming snack foods more often during their main meals, due partly to their lower cost and ease of preparation (or lack thereof). According to the NPD Group, fruit and yogurt are among the snacking choices that are popular among millenials, as they focus in on healthier snacking options.

According to Nielsen, consumers are increasingly becoming more conscious of what their snacks are being made from as well, including what snacks are gluten free (popular choices include popcorn, Jello, pudding, and various fruits) and what snacks are fat free (frozen yogurt, popcorn, and raw veggies are great choices). Consumers are also paying attention to whether snacks are GMO-free, all-natural, and/or made without artificial colors.

We used Nielsen’s 2014 Snack Attack report to compile our list of the 11 most popular snacks in the world, which surveyed 30,000 people in 60 countries on their snacking habits, in particular which snacks they had consumed in the past 30 days. Head to the next page to see which snacks were being shoved down the most throats around the globe.

If we haven’t fully satisfied your craving for sweets after reading this list and you’re just itching to know the top 10 snacks in the US, check out our article on the Top 10 Snack Foods Consumed in America.

11. Popcorn

Just missing the global top 10 was popcorn, a rather surprising miss considering it’s the go-to snack at movie theaters and in many a home. Nonetheless, popcorn did make the top 10 in three of the five regions surveyed, including North America, where 43% of respondents had some in the past month. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG)’s Orville Redenbacher’s is one of the most popular popcorn brands in the world.

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10. Gum/Ice Cream

We’re not entirely sure why gum and ice cream were lumped together, but regardless, they ranked tenth with 33% of global respondents having enjoyed one of them in the past month. General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS)’s Haagen-Dazs is one of the top ice cream brands in the world, with over $2 billion in sales in 2015. However, Unilever NV (ADR) (NYSE:UN) dominates the category, with five of the top six selling brands, including Breyer’s.

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9. Nuts/Seeds

Nuts/seeds finished well ahead of gum and ice cream, with 41% of people eating them in the last month. The Asia-Pacific region was the biggest hotspot for nuts/seeds, with 49% of people enjoying them, while they cracked the top 10 in only one other region, Europe. Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC)’s Planters brand is the best selling nuts brand in the U.S, with just under $1 billion in sales last year.

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8. Chips/Crisps

Next up on the list of the 11 most popular snacks in the world is chips/crisps, which had enticed 44% of the Nielsen survey’s respondents in the past month. Chips/crisps were hugely popular in North America, where they topped all other snacks at 63%, but they failed to register higher than 43% in any other region. PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP)’s Frito Lay owns many of the most popular chips brands in the world, including Doritos, Tostitos, Lays, and Ruffles.

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7. Cheese

People love it on pizza and adore it on their burgers, but that’s not the extent of their passion for cheese, as they appear to be quite smitten with it as a snack as well. 46% of people had eaten it within the last month, including 64% in Latin America and 58% in both Europe and North America. In the Asia-Pacific region, where the rates of lactose intolerance can run as high as 95%, cheese did not make the top 10. Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) makes the extremely popular Kraft Singles cheese slices, which are great for making grilled cheese sandwiches and putting on burgers and sandwiches.

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6. Yogurt

Yogurt ranks as the sixth-most popular snack, with 50% of people having some within the past month as of the Nielsen survey. Yogurt only failed to crack the top 10 in one region, North America, while it was hugely popular in Latin America, ranking first. Yoplait, which is 51% owned by General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS), is one of the leading yogurt brands in the world, including Greek yogurt.

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5. Bread/Sandwiches

Bread/sandwiches also scored 50%, ranking fifth among the 11 most popular snacks in the world. Bread/sandwiches faired the best in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, scoring over 50%. Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO)‘s Nature’s Own is the best selling bread brand in the U.S, with $838.7 million in sales in 2015.

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4. Cookies/Biscuits

Cookies/biscuits ranked fourth on the Nielsen Snack Attack survey, with 51% of respondents having chowed down on some within the previous month. Cookies/biscuits ranked as a top 10 snack in all 5 survey regions, being the most popular in North America and Asia-Pacific. Chocolate chip cookies remain the most popular variety, with oatmeal cookies, sugar cookies, and ginger cookies also being popular. Oreo, which is owned by Mondelez International Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ), is a popular and iconic cookie brand.

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3. Vegetables

Believe it or not, vegetables rank third on the list of the 11 most popular snacks in the world. Vegetables were highly prizes as snacks in the Asia-Pacific region, where 57% of people enjoyed them. Vegetables appear to be gaining in popularity as snacks partly due to the increasing available of vegetable trays at grocery stores, which make for a simple and easy snacking option when combined with a favorite dip.

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2. Fresh Fruit

Another generally healthy snacking choice ranks near the top, with fresh fruit coming in second on the Snack Attack survey. Often considered nature’s candy, fruit is an ideal snack thanks to its combination of sugar, mouth-watering appeal, and various health benefits. Fresh fruit topped the charts as a snack in Europe and Middle East/Africa, in addition to ranking second in Asia-Pacific. Apples, oranges, grapes, and berries are among the popular fruit snacking choices.

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1. Chocolate

Probably unsurprisingly, chocolate tops the list of the 11 most popular snacks in the world, with 64% of global respondents having eaten some in the last 30 days. Chocolate had the broadest global appeal by far, ranking first or second in popularity as a snack in all five survey regions, including first in Asia-Pacific. Chocolate was also the most popular snack among both men and women, with 68% of women and 61% of men having eaten some in the last month. Nestle SA Reg Shs. Ser. B Spons (ADR) (OTCMKTS:NSRGY), Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY), and Mondelez International Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ)’s Cadbury produce some of the most popular brands of chocolate in the world.

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Which snacks can you not live without? Share your snacking habits with our readers in the comments.

Disclosure: None