Polyethylene Market - Historic Data (2019-2024), Global Trends 2025, Growth Forecasts 2037
Polyethylene Market in 2025 is assessed at USD 145.93 billion. The global market size was worth over USD 136.95 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to see a CAGR exceeding 8.2%, reaching over USD 381.52 billion by 2037. Asia Pacific is projected to capture a commanding share, fueled by rising demand for packaged food, automotive growth, and infrastructure expansion.
The market growth can be ascribed to its increasing popularity, demand in the packaging, and construction industries, and rising demand for bio-based polyurethane. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 14.5 million tons of packaging and plastic containers were manufactured in 2018. Besides, increasingly high demand for PE packaging of food and beverages, and growing consumer goods will boost the market revenue.
For instance, polyethylene's (PE) primary features include its low cost, strong electrical insulation across a wide frequency range, extremely good chemical resistance, outstanding processability, toughness, flexibility, and a major factor of transparency in thin films of specific grades. The increasing investments in the production of goods that are eco-friendly and the growing agricultural sector to propel the market growth. More than 40% of the executives said that the population is demanding sustainability in the textile and fashion industry.
Polyethylene Sector: Growth Drivers and Challenges
Growth Drivers
- Dynamic Properties and Growing Use of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) - High-Density Polyethylene is a low-cost thermoplastic with a uniform structure and no or little branching. It is produced at low temperatures (70-300°C) and pressures (10-80 bar) and is derived from either natural gas modification (a methane, ethane, propane mix) or catalytic cracking of crude oil into gasoline. It has a very good resistance to dilute acids, alcohol, and alkalis. For instance, HDPE is the perfect material for a variety of applications across industries owing to its excellent combination of features. High-density polyethylene is used for a variety of purposes, including the manufacturing of consumer items, fibers, textiles, wiring, and cables.
- Worldwide Escalation in Food and Beverage Industry – The food and beverage industry's global revenue is anticipated to increase from USD 507 billion in 2022 to USD 857 billion by 2025.
- Upsurge in Production of Sports Goods - Between 2015 and 2020, the worth of sporting goods production in the EU increased by more than 7% per year.
- Growth in Textile Industry – For instance, the global textile industry is currently valued at around USD 1.4 trillion and is estimated to grow at a rate of 4 - 5% per year for the next few years.
- Growth in Chemical Industry - In 2021, the total global revenue of the chemical industry reached its highest level in the previous 15 years, bringing the total to approximately USD 4.70 trillion.
Challenges
- Rising Environmental Concerns
- Stringent Government Regulations Over Plastic Use
- Availability of its Substitutes such as polyethylene terephthalate and propylene
- The increasing use of other substitutes such as polyethylene terephthalate and propylene is estimated to negatively impact the market growth. The properties of these plastics are similar to PE such as impact resistance, chemical resistance, flexibility, and low cost which are hindering the market growth.
Polyethylene Market: Key Insights
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Base Year |
2024 |
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Forecast Year |
2025-2037 |
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CAGR |
8.2% |
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Base Year Market Size (2024) |
USD 136.95 billion |
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Forecast Year Market Size (2037) |
USD 381.52 billion |
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Regional Scope |
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Polyethylene Segmentation
End-user (Packaging, Automotive, Infrastructure & Construction, Electronics & Electrical, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Goods, Transportation, Agriculture)
The packaging segment in the polyethylene market is set to grow at a significant rate over the forecast period, owing to rising use of polyethylene in the production of various packaging solutions in the food and beverage sector, and an increasing number of E-commerce portals that deliver packaged goods on doorsteps. It was observed that, in 2020, the global packaging industry flourished to be worth around USD 768 billion."
Our in-depth analysis of the global polyethylene market includes the following segments:
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By Type |
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By Technology |
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By End-User |
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Customize this ReportPolyethylene Industry - Regional Synopsis
The Asia Pacific region polyethylene market is expected to account for largest revenue share by the end of 2037. The market growth is impelled by growing intake of packaged food items, growth in the automotive sector, and significant growth in infrastructure, packaging, and construction industries in the region. For instance, packaging consumption in India has increased 203% over the last decade, from 4 kg per person per annum (pppa) to 8 kg pppa. With an annual growth rate of 27%, the industry is expected to reach USD 205.81 billion by 2025, up from USD 51 billion in 2019.
Companies Dominating the Polyethylene Landscape
- DuPont de Nemours, Inc.
- Company Overview
- Business Strategy
- Key Product Offerings
- Financial Performance
- Key Performance Indicators
- Risk Analysis
- Recent Development
- Regional Presence
- SWOT Analysis
- TotalEnergies SE
- Hanwha Group
- Reliance Industries Limited
- Ducor Petrochemicals B.V.
- Borealis AG
- Global Polymer Industries, Inc.
- Lone Star Chemical
- SABIC
- Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A.
In the News
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TotalEnergies SE announced a strategic agreement with Honeywell International Inc. to promote the development of advanced plastic recycling. As part of this contract, Honeywell is estimated to provide TotalEnergies with Recycled Polymer Feedstock (RPF) using Honeywell's UpCycle Process Technology at a newly announced advanced recycling plant being constructed in Andalucia, Spain.
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Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A. announced the start-up of its low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant in Point Comfort, Texas. The LDPE unit is estimated to join the existing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) units.
Author Credits: Rajrani Baghel
- Report ID: 439
- Published Date: Apr 18, 2025
- Report Format: PDF, PPT
