The global sealants market reached US$1.6 billion in 2023, signaling scale in packaging-driven demand and shifting product formulations. Hot melt and water-based adhesives gained momentum as manufacturers optimize application efficiency and move toward sustainability-focused chemistry. On the compliance side, EU rules under REACH SVHC triggers and CLP hazard labeling requirements tighten substance control, while cost pressure from energy and butadiene price swings influences which formulations can be produced at target margins.
Key Takeaways
- US$1.6 billion global sealants market size in 2023 (per report segment), indicating the sealants submarket scale
- Packaging is a major end-use segment for adhesives and sealants (reported as a key segment), reflecting demand from container and wrap materials
- Hot melt adhesives are a major adhesives product form (reported as a key segment), reflecting processing and application efficiency
- In the EU’s REACH framework, SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) authorization/use is triggered for relevant adhesives and sealant chemicals where applicable, indicating regulatory impact on formulations
- The EU’s CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 requires hazard classification, labeling, and packaging for many adhesive/sealant chemicals containing substances or mixtures of concern
- EU RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU restricts certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, affecting use cases where adhesives/sealants are part of EEE supply chains
- Solar PV capacity additions reached 400 GW in 2023 globally, contributing to demand for adhesives and sealants in mounting and module assembly
- The number of registered CLP notifications and harmonized classification entries continues to grow, increasing substance knowledge and compliance requirements for chemical mixtures used in adhesives/sealants
- EPI price volatility can translate into margin pressure for epoxy-based adhesives; the U.S. producer price index for chemicals provides a measurable input-price proxy (2022–2024 fluctuations affect adhesive/sealant costs)
- Raw material costs for specialty chemicals can account for a large portion of total operating expenses; in specialty chemicals, material costs frequently exceed 50% of operating costs (cost structure driver for adhesive/sealant manufacturers)
- Energy price increases raise manufacturing costs; U.S. industrial natural gas prices were about $6.00 per MMBtu in early 2024 (cents-per-mile proxy for utility cost pressure)
- 92% of organizations reported that data analytics improved decision-making in the 2022 survey by Gartner, supporting adoption of analytics for yield and defect reduction in adhesive/sealant manufacturing
- 4.6% of U.S. manufacturing shipments are tied to chemicals and related products categories within NAICS systems that include adhesive/sealant manufacturing; this provides an industry footprint measure proxy
- 1.2 million tons of adhesives were produced globally in 2020 (as a production benchmark used in industry summaries), indicating scale of output for adoption of improved application methods
In 2023 the global sealants market hit about US$1.6 billion, driven by packaging and hot melts while regulations shape safer, lower VOC formulations.
Related reading
01 · Category
Subsector Breakdown4 stats
01
US$1.6 billion global sealants market size in 2023 (per report segment), indicating the sealants submarket scale
02
Packaging is a major end-use segment for adhesives and sealants (reported as a key segment), reflecting demand from container and wrap materials
03
Hot melt adhesives are a major adhesives product form (reported as a key segment), reflecting processing and application efficiency
04
Water-based adhesives hold a prominent share of adhesives markets (reported as a key segment), reflecting sustainability-driven formulation changes
Interpretation
Subsector Breakdown Interpretation
In the Subsector Breakdown, sealants alone totaled US$1.6 billion globally in 2023, while packaging remains a key end use and hot melt and water based product forms lead, showing that demand is strongly shaped by both the application needs and the push toward efficient, sustainability aligned formulations.
02 · Category
Regulation & Compliance4 stats
01
In the EU’s REACH framework, SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) authorization/use is triggered for relevant adhesives and sealant chemicals where applicable, indicating regulatory impact on formulations
02
The EU’s CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 requires hazard classification, labeling, and packaging for many adhesive/sealant chemicals containing substances or mixtures of concern
03
EU RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU restricts certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, affecting use cases where adhesives/sealants are part of EEE supply chains
04
EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC imposes requirements for packaging waste management, affecting packaging used for adhesives and sealants
Interpretation
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
Under the Regulation & Compliance category, EU rules are tightening across multiple fronts at once, with REACH triggering SVHC authorization for relevant adhesives and sealants, CLP enforcing hazard labeling for many chemicals, and additional restrictions and packaging-waste requirements from RoHS and Directive 94/62/EC shaping both formulation and pack practices.
03 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
Solar PV capacity additions reached 400 GW in 2023 globally, contributing to demand for adhesives and sealants in mounting and module assembly
02
The number of registered CLP notifications and harmonized classification entries continues to grow, increasing substance knowledge and compliance requirements for chemical mixtures used in adhesives/sealants
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, global Solar PV capacity additions surged to 400 GW, and along with the ongoing rise in registered CLP notifications and harmonized classification entries, this is signaling strong demand growth and tightening chemical compliance needs that are directly shaping Industry Trends for adhesives and sealants used in mounting and module assembly.
More related reading
04 · Category
Operational & Costs6 stats
01
EPI price volatility can translate into margin pressure for epoxy-based adhesives; the U.S. producer price index for chemicals provides a measurable input-price proxy (2022–2024 fluctuations affect adhesive/sealant costs)
02
Raw material costs for specialty chemicals can account for a large portion of total operating expenses; in specialty chemicals, material costs frequently exceed 50% of operating costs (cost structure driver for adhesive/sealant manufacturers)
03
Energy price increases raise manufacturing costs; U.S. industrial natural gas prices were about $6.00per MMBtu in early 2024 (cents-per-mile proxy for utility cost pressure)
04
Butadiene price movements affect SBR/latex and certain synthetic rubber-based adhesive formulations; global butadiene spot pricing is reported weekly by trade data providers with measurable variations
05
LCA studies quantify that solvent reductions in adhesive applications can reduce life-cycle emissions; comparative LCAs show lower global warming potential for low-VOC systems in covered scenarios
06
Packaging material price changes (e.g., resin) affect adhesive/sealant container costs; U.S. producer price index for resins and plastics indicates measurable movements that impact packaging procurement
Interpretation
Operational & Costs Interpretation
For Adhesives and Sealants, operational and cost pressure is being driven by volatile and rising inputs, including U.S. industrial natural gas at about $6.00 per MMBtu in early 2024 and broader raw material and packaging price swings that can quickly flow through to manufacturing costs and margin pressure.
05 · Category
Performance & Adoption4 stats
01
92% of organizations reported that data analytics improved decision-making in the 2022 survey by Gartner, supporting adoption of analytics for yield and defect reduction in adhesive/sealant manufacturing
02
4.6% of U.S. manufacturing shipments are tied to chemicals and related products categories within NAICS systems that include adhesive/sealant manufacturing; this provides an industry footprint measure proxy
03
1.2 million tons of adhesives were produced globally in 2020 (as a production benchmark used in industry summaries), indicating scale of output for adoption of improved application methods
04
ASTM C920 specifies minimum requirements for elastomeric joint sealants (e.g., movement capability classes), providing measurable performance benchmarks for adoption
Interpretation
Performance & Adoption Interpretation
In the Performance and Adoption view, the data shows strong momentum with 92% of organizations reporting analytics improved decision-making in 2022, alongside global adhesive production hitting 1.2 million tons in 2020 and ASTM C920 tightening measurable elastomeric joint sealant performance requirements.
report visual · Comparison
Adhesives & Sealants: market scale, industry footprint, and key adoption signals
The adhesives/sealants space is large (market size), has a meaningful share of manufacturing shipments, and adoption of analytics supports operational improvements tied to yield and defect reduction.
US$1.6 billion global sealants market size in 2023 (per report segment), indicating the sealants submarket scale$1.6 billion
92% of organizations reported that data analytics improved decision-making in the 2022 survey by Gartner, supporting ado
92%
4.6% of U.S. manufacturing shipments are tied to chemicals and related products categories within NAICS systems that inc
4.6%
source-verifiedmordorintelligence.com · census.gov · gartner.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Adhesives Sealants Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/adhesives-sealants-industry-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Adhesives Sealants Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/adhesives-sealants-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Adhesives Sealants Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/adhesives-sealants-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)