Sustainable Market Share Index™

The Sustainable Market Share Index is an annual analysis of the latest national purchasing data for consumer packaged good (CPG) products marketed as sustainable. NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) partners with Circana (formerly IRI), who generously donated the purchasing data of products marketed with sustainability attributes in 36 CPG categories (excluding alcohol and tobacco), comprising ~40% of the total CPG market in sales from 2013-2023. CSB uses this data to report on the market share for sustainable products and what factors are contributing to its continued growth. Pioneered by Senior Scholar Randi Kronthal-Sacco, each year's report builds on previous analysis and addresses new research questions based on current trends. Click here to read the full 2023 report, and see below of key findings for this year and previous reports.

The 2023 Sustainable Market Share Index™ finds that products marketed as sustainable are responsible for nearly a third of the growth in consumer packaged goods (CPGs) from 2013 to 2023, and market share growth continues year over year.

Sustainability-marketed products continue to grow despite high inflation.

• Products marketed as sustainable now hold a 18.5% market share, up +1.2 percentage points versus the prior year despite high 2023 inflation and strong store brand performance. The market share of sustainable products have increased 4.8 percentage points since 2015.
• Products marketed as sustainable achieved a 5-YR CAGR of 9.9% vs. 6.4% for its conventional counterparts.
• Sustainability marketed products delivered approximately one-third of all CPG growth, despite representing less than one-fifth of the market share.

*excludes alcohol and tobacco sales

Our annual research definitively shows that sustainable products survived inflation and presents continued opportunities to compete for market share amid the rise of store brands,” said Randi Kronthal-Sacco, Senior Scholar at the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB), who pioneers the research initiative. "We are encouraged to see that consumer purchase is driving the creation and incorporation of sustainability. 2023 saw the highest increase in sustainable market share in any single year since we've begun our annual analysis, largely due to the incorporation of sustainable attributes in new product innovation, and veteran brands adopting sustainability in their legacy products.

Despite the fact that sustainable products are less than one-fifth of the market, they delivered nearly one-third of the CPG market growth (2013-2023).

Sustainable products enjoy 9.9% 5-year CAGR, significantly higher than conventionally marketed products.