Healthcare Fabrics Market Expected to Reach $37.4 Billion by 2027

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research titled, “Healthcare Fabrics Market by Raw Material, Fabric Type, and Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020–2027,” the global healthcare fabrics market size was valued at $15.9 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $37.4 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 13.0% from 2020 to 2027.

The healthcare fabrics market is expected to develop rapidly in the coming years as consumers are becoming increasingly aware about the importance of hygiene products and thereby improve the quality of healthcare fabrics. Fabrics are used in a variety of medical applications, and they play an important role in the healthcare textile industry. Personal care is becoming increasingly important as people's lifestyles change, particularly for newborns and children. The increasing use of hygiene products such as infant diapers, sanitary napkins, adult diapers, and others, has led to an increase in demand for healthcare fabrics in recent years.

One of the fastest-growing segments of the medical textile industry is healthcare fabrics. The development of healthcare and medical facilities in developing countries has aided the market's expansion. Furthermore, the demand for healthcare fabrics will rise as government initiatives in developed economies expand. For instance, the Central Govt. of India has taken various business-friendly decision such as make in India, skill India, and digital India, to increase the adoption of healthcare fabrics. Various business industries, including the textile industry, have benefited greatly from these government initiatives. In addition, rise in duty drawback rates in India has aided exporters in competing in the global market. However, a slight decrease in duty drawback rates could suppress market expansion.

During the next few years, the nonwoven fabric segment is expected to expand significantly. This is due to advancements in medical technology, which have shown that non-woven fabrics are superior to other fabrics in terms of adaptability, disposability, efficacy, and cost. Non-woven fabric provides efficient bacteria filters, allowing potentially infected products to be disposed of. Nonwoven fibers are implantable due to properties such as good tissue growth, low parameter elongation, good absorbency, and permeability control. Non-woven fabrics have effectively replaced conventional barrier-rendering and aseptic medical fabrics in recent years.

Polypropylene is estimated to account for the largest share in the healthcare fabrics market in 2019. Because of the high demand for hygiene products, the segment is expected to maintain its leadership during the forecast period. Since polypropylene is used to make the top sheet of hygiene items, such as sanitary napkins and baby diapers, the polypropylene segment is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period.

The hygiene application segment marked a significant revenue share in 2018 and is projected to follow a similar trend during the forecast period. This is primarily due to rise in global consumption of sanitary napkins and baby diapers. Surgical clothing, beddings, sanitary napkins, wipes, surgical covers, and other hygiene products are not directly used in medical practice, but are commonly used in healthcare and good hygiene applications. 

Some of the key players operating in the global healthcare fabrics market are Ahlstrom Munksjo OYJ, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Avgol Ltd., Berry Global Group Inc., Carnegie Fabrics LLC, Eximius Incorporation, Freudenberg Group, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Knoll Inc., and Paramount Tech Fab Industries.

Key Findings Of The Study:

• Based on raw material, the polypropylene segment emerged as the global leader with more than 36.3% share in 2019. 
• Based on fabric type, non-woven segment dominated the global healthcare fabrics market with around 85.1% global market share in 2019.
• By application, hygiene products segment dominated the global healthcare fabrics market with around 59.9% global market share in 2019. 
• Countries such as the U.S., China, and India are emerging as an investment centric hub due to wide scope in manufacturing sector.

Impact Of Covid-19 On The Global Healthcare Fabrics Market

The latest COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in patient inflows. As a result, healthcare fabrics such as PPE kits, bed sheets, masks, and other items are in high demand. In April 2020, the Supreme Court of India ordered the government to provide protective gear to healthcare staff. To prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, people are wearing face masks. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the high consumption rate of medical garments and other fabrics-based items is expected to fuel demand in the global healthcare fabrics market.