In 2025, the ice cream sector in France posted revenue of 1.635 billion euros, representing an increase of nearly 10% compared to 2024. Between 2022 and 2024, sales volume had declined by 8.9%, according to NielsenIQ. In 2025, however, sales volume increased by 8.7% year-over-year (following a decline in 2024). Furthermore, as industry professionals have observed, weather conditions in 2025 boosted consumption, with a particularly hot month of June. Since this product is highly seasonal and consumed more heavily in the summer, it had actually been negatively impacted during the summer of 2024 by heavy rainfall.
The market grew at an average annual rate of 4.5% between 2014 and 2025. EPSIMAS projections indicate that this growth will continue over the next few years, at a rate of approximately 4 to 5.5% per year between 2025 and 2030.
This sector remains largely dominated by large and medium-sized supermarkets.
SSources: NielsenIQ ; Ice Cream Companies Association; Chamber of Agriculture ; EPSIMAS
In 2025, 25.7 million French households (an increase of 840,000 compared to 2024) purchased ice cream at supermarkets (representing a penetration rate of 86.4% of households). On average, ice cream buyers consume 6.4 kg per year. Ice cream consumption is driven primarily by those aged 35–49 (30.4% of revenue) and those aged 50–64 (29.5% of revenue). Those aged 65 and older account for 27.9% of sales, while those under 35 account for only 12.2%.
OpinionWay distinguishes several consumer profiles. Among these profiles, the most common are:
– the «Vanilla-Choco» (42% consumers), who prefer to always choose the same classic flavors (vanilla, chocolate, coffee, etc.)
– The «Bold» (23% consumers) who tend to try out the latest products
– The «Epicureans» (19% consumers) who are looking for the most indulgent recipes
– The «Healthy» (10% consumers) who are increasingly turning to fruit sorbets
SSources: OpinionWay ; Ice Cream Companies Association; NielsenIQ
In France, there will be 1,050 active ice cream manufacturers in 2026 (NAF code 10.52Z, up 5.32% per year between 2016 and 2025). Ice cream manufacturers have also seen their revenue grow by 52.5% between 2021 and 2025, according to the latest estimates. However, ice cream shops tend to register under NAF code 56.10C, which pertains to fast food. This makes it more difficult to identify them. The Smappen geomarketing tool identifies approximately 5,900 establishments specializing in ice cream and sorbets in metropolitan France in 2025. A higher concentration of these establishments is observed in major French cities and coastal areas.
Among the formats most popular with consumers in France, the ice cream bar tops the list, purchased by 62.3% of households that buy ice cream (excluding mini sizes). This format is followed by cones (56.8%, excluding mini) and tubs (48.6%). One format is also experiencing strong growth: the mini. This format was purchased by 11.4 million households in France in 2025 (an increase of 0.4 million households compared to 2024) and posted 8.4% growth in value over the same period.
SSources: INSEE ; Chamber of Agriculture ; NielsenIQ ; EPSIMAS
In France, the ice cream market exhibits distinct seasonality, with significant increases in sales during the summer (and during the holiday season). However, it appears that this seasonality will be less pronounced in 2023. Moreover, this seasonality directly impacts ice cream manufacturers, for whom the months of June through August account for nearly 39% of annual revenue (average over the last ten years).
In fiscal year 2025, unit sales of ice cream followed a strong growth trajectory in the first half of the year, driven by exceptional weather conditions: a 33.1% increase over the 4-week period ending January 26, 2025, followed by a peak of 42.7% over the period ending July 13, 2025. This momentum was driven in particular by unprecedented heat: 2025 was the fourth-hottest year on record in France, with the second-hottest June on record; June alone accounted for 48% of the year’s total ice cream volume growth. The trend then reversed at the end of summer, with a 16.7% decline in unit sales for the period ending August 10, 25, before gradually returning to equilibrium by year-end (+0.1% for the period ending December 28, 25).
Contrary to the trend observed in the previous fiscal year, seasonality in 2025 remained pronounced rather than leveling off: the summer period (May through August) accounted for 62.7% of ice cream revenue, up from 2024 (60.5%) and close to the levels seen in 2019 (62.5%).
Sources: NNielsenIQ; Ice Cream Companies Association; Google Trends
The ice cream and sorbet sector is a dynamic market in France. Following a decline in sales volumes in 2023 and 2024, fiscal year 2025 marked a clear return to growth, with an 8.7% increase in sales by units consumed compared to 2024 (and +4.5% compared to 2023), driven in particular by exceptional weather conditions. Revenue for the sector reached a new record of 1,635 M EUR, up approximately 10.0% from 2024 (1,486 M EUR). The start of the 2026 fiscal year confirms this momentum: revenue excluding logs for January–February reached 90.4 M EUR, higher than that of the same period in 2025 (88.4 M EUR), and continues a steady upward trend since 2018 (60.6 M EUR).
In 2025, the sector recorded 61 innovations, compared to 85 in 2024 and 72 in 2023 (NielsenIQ Scantrack, HMSM). Although this number is down sharply compared to 2024, the market continues to reinvent itself to offer consumers more formats, scents, and flavors. The total revenue generated by these innovations stands at EUR 57.2 million in 2025, down from 2024 (EUR 71.9 million) due to the more limited number of launches. However, average revenue per innovation increased significantly, reaching EUR 0.94 million in 2025, the highest level of the past three years (compared to EUR 0.85 million in 2024 and EUR 0.81 million in 2023): fewer innovations, but overall higher performance.
Source : NielsenIQ ; Ice cream companies association
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