Plant protein market $22.20B 2025

DataM Intelligence said the global plant protein market reached $22.20 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $45.30 billion by 2033, according to a market report published in recent weeks. The report forecast a 9.3% compound annual growth rate for 2026 through 2033 and said Asia-Pacific held the largest regional share in 2025 at 32%. The report named ADM, Cargill and Roquette among key companies in the category. The figures add to a stream of 2025 and 2026 industry forecasts that put plant-based and alternative proteins back in focus after a slower period for some consumer-facing meat substitutes. ### Where do the $22.20 billion and $45.30 billion figures come from? DataM Intelligence said the market was worth $22.20 billion in 2025 and could reach $45.30 billion by 2033. The firm said its forecast covers the 2026-2033 period and reflects growth across food, beverage and ingredient applications. MarketsandMarkets, a separate research firm, published a different estimate for the adjacent plant-based protein market, projecting $23.89 billion in 2025 and $34.97 billion by 2030. (datamintelligence.com) The mismatch is common across private market reports because firms define categories differently, including which protein sources, end uses and geographies they count. That is an inference based on the firms' published report descriptions. ### Why does Asia-Pacific show up as the biggest regional market? DataM Intelligence said Asia-Pacific accounted for 32% of the market in 2025. The firm did not provide the full regional breakout in the summary page surfaced publicly, but the result fits with broader manufacturing and consumption growth in soy, pea and rice proteins across the region described in the report summary. (marketsandmarkets.com) ADM said in its 2025 protein report that consumers want more protein content in more formats and that innovation is expanding beyond legacy plant proteins into blends and other formats. ADM's report did not give a regional market-share figure, but it described broad demand for protein-forward products and alternative protein innovation. (datamintelligence.com) ### Why are ADM, Cargill and Roquette the names attached to this market? DataM Intelligence listed ADM, Cargill and Roquette as key players in the plant protein market. Public product and trend materials from two of those companies show why they remain central to the category: they supply ingredients used by food manufacturers rather than only selling finished consumer brands. (adm.com) ADM said its 2025 protein report tracks demand for higher-protein foods, hybrid products and alternative protein innovation. Roquette said its NUTRALYS pea protein line is designed for a range of food and beverage applications, and the company introduced a new pea protein isolate in February 2026 aimed at improved taste performance in plant-based formulations. (datamintelligence.com) ### Is this about vegan meat, or something broader? The report describes a plant protein ingredients market, which is broader than retail meat alternatives alone. Plant proteins are used in sports nutrition, dairy alternatives, bakery, snacks, meal replacement products and hybrid foods that combine plant and animal ingredients, according to ADM and Roquette product materials. (adm.com) ADM said one of the strongest trends in its 2025 report was demand for protein in more formats, not just in traditional substitute categories. That matters because it shifts attention from a narrow set of plant-based meat products to a wider ingredients business serving multiple food segments. That characterization is supported by ADM's published trend summary. (adm.com) ### What should readers watch next? The 2026-2033 forecast means the next hard signals are likely to come from company launches, capacity additions and annual reports rather than from the headline market number itself. Roquette's February 2026 launch of NUTRALYS Pea 850F and ADM's 2025 protein trend report are two recent markers of how suppliers are positioning for that demand. (adm.com) MarketsandMarkets said its own plant-based protein market outlook runs through 2030, while DataM Intelligence's forecast runs through 2033. Those competing timelines, and any 2026 disclosures from ADM, Cargill and Roquette, will give the next public checkpoints for whether growth is tracking near the high end of current private-market estimates. (marketsandmarkets.com) (proteinproductiontechnology.com)