INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
The global disposable gloves market size was valued at USD 15 billion in 2020 and witnessed a growth of 25% Y-O-Y. The market is highly competitive. Innovations, sustainability, and regulatory adherence constitute three pillars for the disposable gloves market success. Factors such as the growth in the aging population, awareness of infection prevention standards, and expansion of healthcare infrastructure are the major factors contributing to market growth. However, growth in medical tourism, advancement in surgical techniques and medical equipment, increase in public and private investments and government initiatives, the onset of pandemic diseases, and the rise in chronic diseases are other drivers stimulating the demand for disposable gloves.
The demand for medical gloves has surged up rapidly in countries such as the UK, China, the US, India, Iran, and Italy due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The disease has increased the importance of hygiene among individuals. The market landscape of disposable gloves, which are fast turning into retail commodities, is expected to be accelerated.
Governments are expected to liberalize the import and export activities, especially with respect to medical supplies and commodities. This was reflected during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Malaysian producers displayed their sense of responsibility by operating during the adverse market conditions to meet global demands. The NHS in the UK bought more than 85 million gloves from Supermax to control the situation.
SNIPPETS
- The nitrile rubber gloves market is expected to reach an incremental growth of over $8.5 billion by 2025 on account of high chemical and puncture resistance.
- The market by end-users is likely to experience an absolute growth of 123% during the forecast period.
- The APAC region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of over 15% during the period 2019–2025 due to the growth in the aging population and the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic.
- The disposable gloves market in India is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the APAC market.
- The disposable gloves market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 14% during the period 2019–2025.
DISPOSABLE GLOVES MARKET SEGMENTATION
This research report includes a detailed segmentation by
- Type
- Form
- End-user
- Distribution
- Geography
INSIGHTS BY TYPE
Latex gloves are traditional but widely preferred in the industry. A wide preference and adoption in medical, industrial, food, automotive, and other manufacturing industries is the major driver behind the dominance of the segment. However, one of the major challenges confronted by latex gloves manufacturers is price fluctuations based on the price of raw materials and the increasing demand for latex-free disposable gloves from developed countries.
The medical industry is the major end-user for nitrile gloves as it is certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their application. The existing trend of using latex-free products among end-users is expected to fuel the demand for nitrile products in the medical industry.
INSIGHTS BY FORM
The powered segment, which dominates healthcare, dental, food and beverage services, and automotive end-users, has been significantly limited in scope in the last five years. With regulatory agencies such as the FDA banning the use of powdered disposable gloves for the medical industry, the segment is likely to witness steady growth during the forecast period. Moreover, the development of polymer coating technology and powderless gloves is highly affecting the sale of powered models.
Strict enforcement against the use of powdered gloves is boosting the demand for powder-free products. The adoption of glove types such as nitrile, vinyl, and neoprene, is widely available in powder-less forms, thus contributing to the segment growth. Healthcare and medical application sectors, which are highly sensitive to the side effects of powdered ones, are the major end-users for the segment.
INSIGHTS BY END-USER
The global disposable medical gloves market is the major end-use application, which includes examination and surgical gloves. With the growing number of surgeries and cosmetic procedures, the surgical gloves market size is expected to generate an incremental sale of 36.54 billion units during the forecast period.
The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 18% in terms of revenue. The growth in medical tourism in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Singapore can substantially lead to the growth of surgical supplies. Further, the rise in the aging population, chronic illness, expansion of healthcare facilities is driving medical gloves demand.
The non-medical segment majorly comprises industrial, chemical, and food processing end-users. The segment is expected to grow on account of stringency in regulations and the rise in the number of innovative industrial grade gloves. With chemical-resistant gloves being available in various formats, nitrile is expected to emerge a promising segment during the forecast period. The US food industry, which makes use of more than 30 billion vinyl disposable gloves annually, contributes 45–65% of the total usage.
INSIGHTS BY DISTRIBUTION
Disposable gloves have been approaching the status of retail commodities, which increase their visibility and availability in traditional stores such as hypermarkets and online channels. Drug stores and pharmacies remain a significant mode of distribution. They also act as a sales medium, alongside B2B collaborations for clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes.
The distribution via retail outlets, which majorly include supermarkets and hypermarkets, is less in the disposable gloves market. The preference and sales conversion ratio of medical supplies, especially gloves in brick and mortar stores, is less, unlike FMCG and food products. The presence of informative blogs and forums on official websites is driving the momentum toward online channels.
INSIGHTS BY GEOGRAPHY
North America accounted for over 30% of the total volume consumption in 2019 and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. The scope of growth remains high in the medical & healthcare, automotive, construction, household applications, and food processing industries. A highly sophisticated food processing industry in the region is supporting the growth of vinyl and food-grade gloves.
In countries such as the US, where the market has been well established, the upcoming competition in the market will be based on offering sustainable products with minimum impact on the environment. The rise in the aging population, which requires special care, drives investments in the healthcare segment in North America.
INSIGHTS BY VENDORS
The disposable gloves industry is highly competitive, with more than 150 recognized market players across the globe. Factors such as comfort, dexterity, safety, comfort, and price can play a major role in determining the demand and penetration of gloves in the market. Innovation serves as the key differentiator through which brands can capitalize on the competitive trend prevalent in the market.
Top Glove is one of the leading vendors in the market. Top glove market segmentation focuses on sustainability and business partnerships. Global collaborations and mergers and acquisitions are helping companies to increase their global footprints. Vendors need to engage with market trends and demands constantly. The key players in the market are Top Glove, Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd (KRI), Hartalega, Rubberex, and Ansell.
The disposable gloves market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry analysis with revenue and forecast insights for the following segments:
Segmentation by Type
- Latex
- Nitrile
- Vinyl
- Neoprene
- Others
By Form
By End-user
-
Medical
-
Non-medical
- Industrial
- Chemical
- Food
- Others
By Distribution
- B2B/Institutional
- Retail
- Others
By Geography
-
North America
-
Europe
- UK
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Spain
-
APAC
- China
- Japan
- South Korea
- Australia
- India
-
Latin America
-
Middle East & Africa
- South Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- UAE