Gitnux/Report 2026

Food Packaging Industry Statistics

The global food packaging market is estimated at $444.9 billion in 2026, explore the figures behind growth, key companies, and technology and regulation trends.
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Food Packaging Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The food packaging industry at a glance

Global food packaging revenue is estimated at $444.9 billion in 2026, with demand supported by convenience foods, online grocery, delivery, and stricter requirements for recyclable and reusable formats.

$444.9B[60]
Market size, 2026
4.3%[60]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2033
40.0%[60]
Asia-Pacific share, 2025
20.3M tonnes[61]
European food glass, 2025
Market size
The global food packaging market was valued at $421.6 billion in 2025 and is estimated at $444.9 billion in 2026. European food and beverage container-glass production reached 20.3 million tonnes in 2025, providing a current regional indicator for one major packaging material.[60][61]
Forecast & CAGR
Global food packaging revenue is forecast to reach $599.0 billion by 2033, representing a 4.3% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2033. Fresh-food packaging is forecast to grow from $141.0 billion in 2026 to $268.4 billion in 2035, equivalent to approximately 7.4% CAGR.[60][62]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific accounted for 40.0% of global food packaging revenue in 2025, the largest regional share in the cited market estimate. PMMI identifies India, Indonesia, China, the United States, and Brazil as the five leading countries for packaging-volume gains through 2029, with food and drink packaging representing more than 90% of global retail volume sales in 2024.[60][20]
Segmentation
The market is commonly segmented by packaging format into flexible, rigid, and semi-rigid products; by material into plastics, paper and paperboard, glass, and metal; and by application into areas such as bakery and confectionery, dairy, fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood, and prepared foods. Flexible packaging remains a major format because it combines low material use with lightweight transport and product-protection benefits.[60][63]
Key players & concentration
The industry includes large multinational suppliers such as Sealed Air, ProAmpac, and major paper, glass, metal, and plastics producers, alongside many regional converters and specialist foodservice suppliers. European fibre-based packaging alone generates €110 billion in revenue and supports about 710,000 jobs, indicating a large and diverse supplier base rather than a single dominant producer.[23][63][64]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being driven by online grocery, meal kits, food delivery, convenience products, portion control, and demand for longer shelf life. The main challenges are volatile resin, paper, energy, and transport costs; recycling-infrastructure gaps; food-contact requirements; and the need to reduce material use without compromising barrier performance or food safety.[60][20][65]
Consumer behavior & competition
Food and drink packaging accounted for more than 90% of global retail volume sales in 2024, underscoring the sector’s dependence on packaged-food consumption. Competition is increasingly focused on recyclable, fibre-based, lightweight, resealable, and food-waste-reducing formats, while private-label food and beverage products represented 23.9% of U.S. packaged-food and beverage units sold in 2025.[20][66]
M&A
M&A remained active in 2026: CD&R completed its acquisition of Sealed Air on April 9, 2026, ProAmpac completed its acquisition of TC Transcontinental Packaging on March 6, and Butterfly Equity agreed to acquire Sabert in September, with closing expected in the fourth quarter. The transactions target scale, flexible packaging, foodservice, fibre, and sustainable-material capabilities.[23][63][67]
Regulation
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2025/40, entered into force on February 11, 2025 and began applying on August 12, 2026. It introduces requirements covering recyclability, recycled content, reuse, labelling, packaging reduction, and restrictions on PFAS in food-contact packaging.[65][68]
Latest news
Recent industry developments include the April 2026 completion of CD&R’s acquisition of Sealed Air, ProAmpac’s March 2026 acquisition of TC Transcontinental Packaging, and MM Group’s November 2026 agreement to sell its Packaging business to KPS Capital Partners, with MM Group retaining a 30% stake after completion.[23][63][39]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Food Packaging Industry

The leading companies in the food packaging industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Sonoco Products Company stands out for metal and paper food packaging because it provides metal, paper, flexible and rigid plastic packaging for food and consumer brands, while Amcor leads in flexible and rigid food packaging since it makes flexible packaging, rigid containers, cartons and closures for food and beverage brands.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in metal & rigid cans

    Sonoco Products Company

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.5 · Metal & rigid cans

    Why we picked it: It supplies metal, paper, flexible and rigid plastic packaging for food and consumer brands.

    See in ranking ↓Visit sonoco.com ↗

  2. Leader in flexible packaging

    Amcor

    GB

    Ranked #2 · 9.4 · Flexible packaging

    Why we picked it: It makes flexible packaging, rigid containers, cartons and closures for food and beverage brands.

    See in ranking ↓Visit amcor.com ↗

  3. Leader in paper-based packaging

    Smurfit Westrock

    IE

    Ranked #3 · 9.4 · Paper-based packaging

    Why we picked it: It supplies paper-based packaging solutions across food, beverage and consumer markets.

    See in ranking ↓Visit smurfitwestrock.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the food packaging industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Sonoco Products Company

Metal & rigid cans · US

9.5
2

Amcor

Flexible packaging · GB

9.4
3

Smurfit Westrock

Paper-based packaging · IE

9.4
4

Tetra Pak

Aseptic cartons & filling · CH

9.3
5

Novolex

Foodservice & specialty packaging · US

9.0
6

ProAmpac

Flexible packaging · US

8.9
7

Silgan Holdings

Metal & rigid cans · US

8.7
8

Sealed Air

Flexible packaging · US

8.5
9

SIG Group

Aseptic cartons & filling · CH

8.3
10

Winpak

Flexible packaging · CA

8.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the food packaging industry. In Food Packaging Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-packaging-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest food packaging companies

Smurfit Westrock leads with $31.2B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Smurfit Westrock$31.2B
Amcor$15.0B
Tetra Pak$13.3B
Sonoco Products Company$7.5B
Silgan Holdings$6.5B
Sealed Air$5.4B
source-verifiedsec.gov · assets.ctfassets.net · tetrapak.com · investor.sonoco.com · ir.sealedair.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI and analytics move from pilots to operations: 59% of packaging and processing OEMs reported using or testing AI in 2026, while 86% rated innovation a high or essential priority.

AI in the food packaging industry

  • 59% of packaging and processing OEMs reported actively using or testing AI in 2026.[1]
  • 82% of packaging-company respondents in the United States and Europe had launched, were developing, or were considering generative-AI solutions in 2025.[2]
  • 56% of packaging-company respondents reported using machine learning or generative AI in commercial excellence in 2025.[2]
  • 43% of packaging-company respondents reported using machine learning or generative AI in procurement in 2025.[2]
  • 37% of packaging-company respondents reported using machine learning or generative AI in supply chain and logistics in 2025.[2]

Automation in the food packaging industry

  • 43% of consumer-packaged-goods manufacturers were considering increased automation to address workforce gaps in 2025.[3]
  • 13% of consumer-packaged-goods companies currently automate changeovers, according to PMMI’s 2025 workforce research.[4]
  • 22% of consumer-packaged-goods companies currently automate quality inspection, according to PMMI’s 2025 workforce research.[4]
  • 65% of consumer-packaged-goods respondents planned to add automation equipment, cobots, or robotics to packaging operations during 2025.[5]
  • The U.S. robotics market serving packaging and processing was valued at $440 million in 2025.[6]
  • 61% of consumer-packaged-goods respondents cited reducing labor cost or achieving a good return on investment as a reason to add packaging automation in 2025.[5]

Digital Transformation in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 46% ranked automation among their leading technology focus areas in 2025.[7]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 57% identified moving to SAP S/4HANA as a top focus area in 2025.[7]
  • Across European chemical subindustries, 65% of companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity that would significantly impact their activities in 2024.[8]
  • Among EII businesses, 68% reported adopting AI in 2024, with an estimated 10% productivity increase.[8]

Technology Adoption in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 53% had implemented AI for real-time process control and optimization in 2025.[9]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for quality inspection or defect detection in 2025.[9]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for production planning and scheduling in 2025.[9]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 45% had implemented AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.[9]

Cloud Computing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 52% reported increased productivity from cloud computing in 2024, while 46% reported no change.[8]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, more than 35% had at least partially migrated to cloud computing in 2023.[10]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, 15% planned to migrate to cloud computing in coming years in 2023.[10]
  • Among EII businesses, 2% reported decreased productivity from cloud computing in 2024.[8]

Big Data in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 49% cited gaining actionable insights from data and analytics as a current challenge in 2025.[7]
  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported no productivity change from big data in 2024.[8]
  • Among EII businesses, 48% reported increased productivity from big data in 2024.[8]
  • Among EII businesses, 6% reported decreased productivity from big data in 2024.[8]

IoT in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 56% reported no productivity change from IoT in 2024.[8]
  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported increased productivity from IoT in 2024.[8]
  • Across European countries, 29% of firms used IoT on average in 2021.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Packaging organizations increasingly measure performance and visibility: 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for operational data in 2026, while only 42% had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality.

Business intelligence in the food packaging industry

  • 83% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations committed investment to smart packaging in 2026.[12]
  • 84% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations committed investment to real-time visibility in 2026.[12]
  • 87% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations committed investment to Internet of Things technology in 2026.[12]
  • 83% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations committed investment to artificial-intelligence applications in 2026.[12]
  • 81% of U.S. packaging brand owners were aware of business-to-business customer portals in 2026.[13]
  • 85% of U.S. packaging brand owners were aware of traceability features in 2026.[13]

Data analytics in the food packaging industry

  • 52% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations planned to use AI for translation and localization in 2026.[12]
  • 85% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations committed investment to predictive analytics in 2026.[12]
  • 62% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations planned to use AI for quality control and defect detection in 2026.[12]
  • 53% of U.S. packaging, labels and logistics organizations planned to use AI for label generation and verification in 2026.[12]

Data Quality in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[14]
  • 67% of supply-management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[15]
  • 44% of companies in the manufacturing survey reported AI-project failures caused by poor data quality in 2025, across surveyed manufacturers.[16]
  • 49% of supply-management organizations rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024, based on an Institute for Supply Management survey.[15]
  • 42% of manufacturers had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026, while 51% did not.[14]
  • 89% of manufacturers said data use improved their decision-making processes in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[14]

Data Governance in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[15]
  • 28% of manufacturers had a data-governance leader in 2026, across the Manufacturing Leadership Council survey.[14]
  • 67% of GCC chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[17]
  • 46% of GCC chemical companies had established common data standards with collaboration partners in 2022.[17]
  • 52% of global chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[17]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[15]

KPIs in the food packaging industry

  • 25% to 35% OEE was typical of laggard food and beverage packaging manufacturers in the cited industry study.[6]
  • Nearly 70% of food and beverage packaging lines did not measure OEE or an equivalent performance measure in the cited survey.[6]
  • Less than 20% of food and beverage manufacturers reported packaging lines networked and integrated with business systems in the cited survey.[6]
  • 97% asset utilization was reached by the best-in-class food and beverage packaging manufacturers in a worldwide study of 141 packaging lines.[6]
  • 45.7% of packaging and processing suppliers offered customers OEE tracking in 2026.[1]
  • 93.8% of packaging and processing suppliers tracked downtime as a KPI in their current OEE offerings in 2026.[1]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Packaging firms report mixed volume outcomes and active portfolio change, with 47% of food-packaging firms reporting better 2024 volume than 2023 and 35% reporting worse volume.

Growth in the food packaging industry

  • 47% of food-packaging firms reported better 2024 volume than in 2023 in the Foodservice Packaging Institute survey.[18]
  • 18% of food-packaging firms reported unchanged 2024 volume compared with 2023 in the Foodservice Packaging Institute survey.[18]
  • $118 million of Graphic Packaging’s 2024 sales reflected the acquisition of Bell completed in September 2023.[19]
  • 0.6% was the increase in alcoholic-drink packaging volume sales in 2024 after a decline in 2023.[20]
  • 2.3% was the increase in global beverage-packaging retail volumes in 2024.[20]
  • 35% of food-packaging firms reported worse 2024 volume than in 2023 in the Foodservice Packaging Institute survey.[18]

Differentiation in the food packaging industry

  • 17% of SIG’s 2024 revenue came from bag-in-box and spouted-pouch products.[21]
  • 50% was SIG’s estimated global market position for bag-in-box packaging in 2024, ranked number one.[21]
  • 70% of surveyed food companies had launched packaging more environmentally friendly than their previous packaging within the prior two years.[22]
  • 8 SKUs received Olé Mexican Foods’ differentiated thermoformed profile-printing packaging treatment.[23]
  • 100% recycled PET was specified for Amcor’s redesigned Friskies Party Mix treat canisters to improve circularity without changing product quality.[24]
  • 57% of packaging decision-makers surveyed by RRD planned sustainable or eco-friendly aesthetic directions over the following two years.[25]

Mergers and acquisitions in the food packaging industry

  • $118 million of 2024 Graphic Packaging sales came from the Bell acquisition completed in September 2023.[19]
  • $233 million was Ball’s noncash impairment charge associated with the planned sale of its aluminum-cups business in 2024.[26]
  • $160 million was Ball’s cash consideration for acquiring Florida Can Manufacturing in February 2025.[26]
  • $621 million was the decrease in Graphic Packaging net sales in 2024, partly reflecting divestitures and lower packaging volumes.[19]
  • $100 million was the approximate price Graphic Packaging paid for Tama Paperboard in January 2023.[19]
  • 3 packaging facilities in Russia were removed from Ball’s reporting boundary after the company sold its Russian beverage-packaging business in 2022.[27]

Strategic partnerships in the food packaging industry

  • 17% of SIG’s 2024 revenue came from the combined bag-in-box and spouted-pouch portfolio developed for food and beverage customers.[21]
  • 750+ customers were included in SIG’s 2024 customer base for carton, bag-in-box and spouted-pouch packaging systems.[21]
  • $160 million was Ball’s acquisition investment in Florida Can Manufacturing, which strengthened its regional supply network.[26]
  • 3-dimensional molded-fiber food-packaging solutions were targeted by Amcor and Metsä Group in their May 2025 collaboration.[24]
  • 2 brands and 8 SKUs were included in Olé Mexican Foods’ packaging collaboration with Sealed Air.[23]
  • 2 companies, Amcor and Metsä Group, combined barrier-film and molded-fiber technologies for food applications in their 2025 collaboration.[24]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce tenure and turnover remain concrete constraints: 12.9% was average yearly voluntary headcount turnover over two years in PMMI’s 2026 survey, and 13% of operators had experience under six months.

Hiring in the food packaging industry

  • 7,321 employees were hired by Berry Global in North America in 2024.[28]
  • 2,679 employees were hired by Berry Global’s Consumer Packaging International division in 2024.[28]
  • 4,979 people were hired in Berry Global’s U.S. operations in 2024, including 2,342 White, 1,478 Black or African American, and 732 Hispanic or Latino hires.[28]
  • 2,367 employees were hired by Berry Global’s Flexibles division in 2024.[28]
  • 10,289 employees were hired by Berry Global worldwide in 2024, including 7,327 men and 2,962 women.[28]

Employee retention in the food packaging industry

  • 13% of packaging-line operators had average experience of more than five years in a 2025 packaging workforce survey.[20]
  • 68.3% of packaging and manufacturing companies cited better opportunities as a common reason employees leave voluntarily.[1]
  • 12.9% was the average yearly voluntary headcount turnover rate reported by packaging and manufacturing companies over the two years covered by PMMI’s 2026 survey.[1]
  • 13% of packaging-line operators had average experience of less than six months in a 2025 packaging workforce survey.[20]
  • 49% of packaging-line operators had average experience of six months to two years in a 2025 packaging workforce survey.[20]

Remote Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 25% preferred mostly remote work in 2025.[29]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 25% worked exclusively remotely in August 2026.[30]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 8% preferred fully remote work in 2025.[29]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[31]

Hybrid Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[30]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[31]
  • Across U.S. hybrid employees, 48% said their team had not discussed a formal or informal collaboration plan in 2026.[30]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred a hybrid work arrangement in November 2025.[30]
  • U.S. hybrid employees spent an average of 46% of their workweek on-site in 2026.[30]

Upskilling in the food packaging industry

  • 33% of consumer-packaged-goods manufacturers identified managing change across teams as a top workforce challenge expected in 2025.[3]
  • 98% of eligible Berry Global employees completed compliance training in 2024.[28]
  • 84% of consumer-packaged-goods employers identified analytical thinking as a capability sought in their workforce.[3]
  • 36% of eligible Berry Global employees completed self-development training in 2024.[28]
  • 86% of consumer-packaged-goods employers identified communication and teamwork as capabilities sought in their workforce.[3]

Employee Engagement in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across employees in the United States, 32% were engaged at work in 2025.[30]
  • Across best-practice organizations recognized by Gallup, 70% of employees were engaged in 2025.[30]
  • Among global managers, 22% were engaged at work in 2025, compared with 19% of non-managers.[30]
  • Across employees in the United States and Canada, 31% were engaged at work in 2025.[30]
  • Across employees worldwide, 20% were engaged at work in 2025.[30]

DEI in the food packaging industry

  • 2,342 White employees were hired in Berry Global’s U.S. operations in 2024.[28]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Consumer attitudes track toward reusables and hygiene: 81.63% of U.S. consumers consider reusable foodservice packaging environmental attributes very or somewhat important in 2025.

Customer experience in the food packaging industry

  • 81.63% of U.S. consumers consider reusable foodservice packaging environmental attributes either a very or somewhat important benefit, 2025.[18]
  • 71.43% of U.S. consumers are either very or somewhat willing to provide their own food container instead of using a restaurant’s single-use container, 2025.[18]
  • 86.39% of U.S. consumers consider reusable foodservice packaging either a very or somewhat important sturdiness benefit, 2025.[18]
  • 77.36% of U.S. consumers are either very or somewhat willing to provide their own cup instead of using a restaurant’s single-use cup, 2025.[18]
  • 85.62% of U.S. consumers consider single-use foodservice packaging either a very or somewhat important hygiene benefit because it is used only once, 2025.[18]

Customer acquisition in the food packaging industry

  • 85% of PMMI members identified finding new customers as their paramount business priority, 2025.[4]
  • 85% of PMMI members also identified finding new customers as their paramount business priority in the previous year, 2024.[4]

Customer loyalty in the food packaging industry

  • 47% of consumers said eco-friendly or sustainable packaging affects their perception of product quality, according to Adobe’s 2026 survey, United States, 2026.[32]
  • Product labels and packaging ranked just behind word-of-mouth among consumers’ most trustworthy information sources for food and beverage brands, 2025.[33]
  • 57% of consumers who experienced memorable packaging made another purchase from the same brand, according to Adobe’s 2026 survey of online consumers, United States, 2026.[32]
  • 73% of consumers said premium packaging improves their perception of a brand, according to Adobe’s 2026 survey of online consumers, United States, 2026.[32]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand owners treat packaging as a change target: 99% of U.S. CPG and foodservice brand owners expected to make packaging changes within three years in 2026.

Marketing in the food packaging industry

  • More than 130 packaging and processing organizations participated in PMMI’s survey of marketing practices, United States, 2021.[1]
  • Packaging and processing companies in PMMI’s survey used both digital and traditional marketing channels, with budget allocation near evenly split between the two, United States, 2021.[1]
  • PMMI’s packaging and processing marketing survey covered organizations across multiple revenue and employee-size bands, United States, 2021.[1]

Branding in the food packaging industry

  • 98% of CPG and foodservice brand owners rated packaging as highly important to brand success, 2023.[13]
  • 99% of CPG and foodservice brand owners rated packaging as highly important to brand success, 2024.[13]
  • Approximately 99% of brand owners expected to make packaging changes during the following three years, 2026.[13]
  • 98% of CPG and foodservice brand owners rated packaging as highly important to brand success, 2026.[13]

Influencer Marketing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across B2B companies, 55% of marketers used creators in 2025, based on a March 2025 Ipsos survey of 1,500 marketing professionals.[34]
  • Across B2B companies, 29% of marketers planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in a March 2025 Ipsos survey.[34]
  • Across B2B companies, 43% of marketers reported outstanding results from influencer programs in the 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[35]
  • Across B2B companies, 81% of marketers had a dedicated influencer-marketing budget in a September 2024 U.S. survey of firms with at least 100 employees.[36]
  • In U.S. manufacturing, 19% of marketers used influencer marketing among paid channels in the prior 12 months, according to a 2025 industry benchmark.[37]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational gains link to machine efficiency and quality: WestRock reported 250% higher production enabled by automation in a customer food-and-beverage packaging application.

Process optimization in the food packaging industry

  • 28 manufacturing plants operated in Pactiv Evergreen’s Food and Beverage Merchandising segment in 2024.[38]
  • 43.9% was the decrease in average unit cost for machine parts and replacement components in fiscal 2024 versus 2023.[38]
  • 43.6% more food packaging machines were sold in fiscal 2024 than in 2023 by the reported U.S. manufacturer.[38]
  • 250% higher production was enabled by automation in a WestRock customer food-and-beverage packaging application.[38]
  • 13.9% lower raw-material consumption costs were reported for food packaging machines in fiscal 2024 than in 2023.[38]

Operational efficiency in the food packaging industry

  • 18.1% lower produced volume was recorded by MM Food & Premium Packaging in 2025 than in 2024.[39]
  • 10.2% was MM Food & Premium Packaging’s adjusted operating margin in 2025.[39]
  • 10.5% was MM Food & Premium Packaging’s adjusted operating margin in 2024.[39]
  • 31% lower capital expenditure was recorded by Huhtamaki’s North America Fiber Packaging segment in 2024.[40]
  • 34% higher operating cash flow was reported by Huhtamaki’s North America Fiber Packaging segment in 2024.[40]

Quality management in the food packaging industry

  • 22% of Berry Global facilities held BRC certification in 2024.[28]
  • 27% of Berry Global facilities held ISCC+ certification in 2024.[28]
  • 90% of Berry Global facilities held ISO 9001 certification in 2024.[28]
  • 4.67% of tested food products had labelling or presentation non-compliance in Spain’s 2023 consumer-control testing.[41]
  • 7% of Berry Global facilities held FSSC 22000 certification in 2024.[28]

Supply chain in the food packaging industry

  • 5% was the increase in Mondi Paper Bags sales volume in 2025 versus 2024.[42]
  • 2.6 million tonnes of polystyrene food packaging are placed on the French market annually, including 100,000 tonnes from fresh-dairy manufacturers.[43]
  • 75% was the approximate share of flexible-packaging converter material purchases represented by films, paper and resins in the United States.[44]
  • $2.6 billion was the U.S. flexible-packaging trade deficit in 2024.[44]
  • $6.5 billion of U.S. flexible packaging was imported in 2024.[44]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers but reported no success in 2025.[45]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 43% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers and achieved some success in 2025.[45]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 72.8% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023.[46]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 34.1% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing cited labour-cost reduction as a motivation during 2021–2023.[46]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents were actively pushing onshoring projects in 2025.[45]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressure stays quantified: UK food manufacturers expected an average selling-price increase of 2.8% for the year to March 2026.

Pricing strategy in the food packaging industry

  • 76% of United Kingdom food manufacturers increased average selling prices by less than 10% in the year to March 2025.[47]
  • $310 million of International Paper’s 2024 Industrial Packaging operating-profit change came from higher sales prices net of unfavorable mix.[38]
  • 2.8% was the average selling-price increase expected by United Kingdom food manufacturers for the year to March 2026.[47]
  • $128 million was the negative operating-profit impact of lower Industrial Packaging sales volumes at International Paper in 2024.[38]
  • 54% of United Kingdom food manufacturers expected selling-price increases of 0.1% to 5% for the year to March 2026.[47]

Cost reduction in the food packaging industry

  • $4,519 was the reduction in average unit manufacturing cost per food packaging machine in fiscal 2024.[38]
  • $493,397 was the decrease in raw materials used for food packaging machines in fiscal 2024.[38]
  • 4.8% was the average production-cost increase expected by United Kingdom food manufacturers for the year to March 2026.[47]
  • 4.8% was the decrease in the reported food-packaging-machine manufacturer’s cost of revenues in fiscal 2024.[38]
  • $89 million of incremental cost benefits were generated by Sealed Air’s productivity and cost actions in 2024.[48]

Profitability in the food packaging industry

  • 7.1% was Huhtamaki North America Fiber Packaging’s adjusted EBIT margin in 2024.[40]
  • 13.9% was Huhtamaki Flexible Packaging’s adjusted EBIT margin in 2024.[40]
  • 45.1% was the reported food-packaging-machine manufacturer’s gross margin in fiscal 2024.[38]
  • 20.9% was the increase in gross profit reported by the food-packaging-machine manufacturer in fiscal 2024.[38]
  • 14.1% was Mondi Flexible Packaging’s underlying EBITDA margin in 2024.[42]

Financial planning in the food packaging industry

  • 69.0 million euros was Huhtamaki North America Fiber Packaging’s 2024 capital expenditure.[40]
  • $44.6 billion was the projected 2025 U.S. flexible-packaging market value based on industry-member expectations.[44]
  • 58.3 million euros was MM Food & Premium Packaging’s capital expenditure in 2024.[39]
  • 68.1 million euros was MM Food & Premium Packaging’s capital expenditure in 2025.[39]
  • 4.8% was the projected 2025 growth rate for the U.S. flexible-packaging industry.[44]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Predictive maintenance and smart-packaging timelines show up in planning: 1% of U.S. packaging leaders had completed a transition to smart packaging in 2026, while 84% expected a transition within one to three years.

Product development in the food packaging industry

  • 45% of food and beverage respondents cited reducing ingredient and manufacturing costs as a leading innovation driver in 2025, globally.[49]
  • 65% of U.S. packaging and labels organizations planned to use AI for packaging-design optimization in 2026.[12]
  • 74% of U.S. packaging brand owners had adopted AI for product development in 2026.[13]
  • 46% of U.S. packaging brand owners were using digital prototyping software in 2026.[13]
  • 82% of food and beverage teams still relied on manual processes for new-product development in 2025, globally.[49]

Product lifecycle in the food packaging industry

  • 1% of U.S. packaging leaders had completed a transition to smart packaging in 2026.[12]
  • 82% of packaging end users were actively engaged in sustainability initiatives in 2026, according to a PMMI survey of packaging and processing companies.[1]
  • 84% of U.S. packaging leaders expected to transition to smart packaging within one to three years in 2026.[12]

After-sales in the food packaging industry

  • 75% of packaging and processing OEMs cited day-to-day operational demands as their biggest innovation barrier in 2026.[1]
  • 86% of packaging and processing OEMs rated innovation a high or essential priority in 2026.[1]
  • 100% of packaging and processing respondents with revenue above $250 million identified predictive-maintenance metrics as underserved in 2026.[1]
  • 45.7% of packaging and processing suppliers offered customers an overall-equipment-effectiveness solution in the 2026 PMMI survey.[1]
  • 93.8% of packaging and processing suppliers’ current OEE offerings tracked downtime in the 2026 PMMI survey.[1]

Value proposition in the food packaging industry

  • 98% of U.S. CPG and foodservice brand owners rated packaging highly important to brand success in 2026.[13]
  • 38% of U.S. packaging organizations planned to design packaging specifically for e-commerce in 2026.[12]
  • 99% of U.S. CPG and foodservice brand owners expected to make packaging changes within three years in 2026.[13]
  • 80% of U.S. packaging organizations expected their e-commerce business to grow within one to three years in 2026.[12]
  • 49% of U.S. packaging organizations planned to increase inventory levels in response to e-commerce growth in 2026.[12]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Recyclability and carton collection scale remain measurable: 1,358 kilotonnes of food-and-beverage cartons were collected and sent for recycling in 2024 globally.

Sustainability in the food packaging industry

  • 97% of Charoen Pokphand Foods’ plastic packaging was recyclable in 2025 across reported operations.[50]
  • 100% of Amcor’s specialty carton packaging was certified recyclable by the Institute cyclos-HTP in FY2024.[51]
  • 83% of Tetra Pak food and beverage cartons delivered to customers carried an FSC label in 2024 globally.[52]
  • 77% of Amcor’s operational waste was recycled in FY2024 globally.[51]
  • 64% of Amcor’s electricity came from renewable sources in FY2024 globally.[51]

ESG in the food packaging industry

  • 90% of Amcor production colleagues received diversity, equity and inclusion training in FY2024 globally.[51]
  • 95% of Amcor’s near-term and net-zero science-based targets had been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative in FY2024.[51]
  • 51% of Charoen Pokphand Foods’ wood and paper-fiber packaging was FSC-certified in 2025.[50]
  • 95% of Graphic Packaging employees completed Code of Conduct training in 2024.[53]
  • 95% of Amcor sites had water-management plans in FY2024 globally.[51]

Ethics in the food packaging industry

  • 5,000 Amcor production colleagues received diversity, equity and inclusion training in FY2024.[51]
  • 1,600 Amcor employees volunteered in 39 community clean-up events in FY2024.[51]
  • 110 suppliers attended Amcor’s sustainability summit focused on greenhouse-gas-emissions reduction in FY2024.[51]
  • 177:1 was Graphic Packaging’s CEO total-compensation ratio in 2024.[53]
  • 95% of Graphic Packaging employees completed anti-harassment training in 2024.[53]

CSR in the food packaging industry

  • 16 metric tons of waste were collected by Amcor volunteers during community clean-up events in FY2024.[51]
  • 1,500 volunteers joined 39 Amcor community clean-up events in FY2024.[51]
  • 28% was the food-and-beverage-carton collection-for-recycling rate in 2024 globally, according to Tetra Pak.[52]
  • 1,358 kilotonnes of food-and-beverage cartons were collected and sent for recycling in 2024 globally, according to Tetra Pak.[52]
  • 3.04 million pounds of material were collected through Walmart customer recycling programs in Africa, Central America, Chile and Mexico in calendar 2024.[54]

Circular economy in the food packaging industry

  • 0.07% was the compostable share of Charoen Pokphand Foods’ plastic packaging in 2025.[50]
  • 76% of Charoen Pokphand Foods’ wood and paper-fiber packaging was made from recycled material in 2025.[50]
  • $205 million was Graphic Packaging’s annual revenue from new product innovations in 2024.[53]
  • 5.14% was the recycled-content share of Charoen Pokphand Foods’ plastic packaging in 2025.[50]
  • 97% of Graphic Packaging’s sold packaging was characterized as recyclable in 2024.[53]

Carbon footprint in the food packaging industry

  • 16% is Amcor’s estimated contribution from product redesign to the greenhouse-gas reductions required for its near-term science-based targets.[51]
  • 750 kilotonnes of CO2e came from end-of-life activities in Tetra Pak’s value chain in 2025.[52]
  • 3,988 kilotonnes of CO2e came from Tetra Pak’s sold-equipment use in 2025.[52]
  • 18% is Amcor’s estimated contribution from recycled content to the greenhouse-gas reductions required for its near-term science-based targets.[51]
  • 9% was Amcor’s reduction in absolute greenhouse-gas emissions compared with FY2023 in FY2024.[51]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-region production supports volume, with SIG producing 56.5 billion packs in 2024 for customers across global food and beverage markets.

Globalization in the food packaging industry

  • 36 packaging locations operated by Graphic Packaging were in EMEA in 2024.[53]
  • 56.5 billion packs were produced by SIG in 2024 for customers across global food and beverage markets.[21]
  • 31% of SIG’s 2024 revenue came from Europe, 28% from Asia-Pacific, 27% from the Americas and 14% from IMEA.[21]
  • 750+ customers were served by SIG across its carton, bag-in-box and spouted-pouch packaging businesses in 2024.[21]
  • 6 packaging locations operated by Graphic Packaging were in the Pacific Rim in 2024.[53]

Cultural adaptation in the food packaging industry

  • 67% of food-industry companies in the German DLG study reported joint management responsibility for improving packaging environmental friendliness.[22]
  • 16% sales growth over eight months followed Olé Mexican Foods’ adoption of profile printing on thermoformed queso-fresco packaging across eight SKUs in the United States.[23]
  • 49% of surveyed food companies in Germany already had a strategy for improving packaging environmental friendliness.[22]
  • 70% of surveyed food companies had introduced more environmentally friendly packaging during the previous two years.[22]
  • Just over 60% of the U.S. ethnic-food market was represented by Mexican food, according to the Olé Mexican Foods packaging case study.[23]

Supplier management in the food packaging industry

  • 78% of Amcor’s total packaging production was recyclable or recycle-ready by weight in fiscal 2026.[24]
  • 3,212,000 metric tons of recyclable and recycle-ready packaging were produced by Amcor in fiscal 2026.[24]
  • 100% recycled PET was used, excluding the label and lid, in Amcor’s 2025 Friskies Party Mix treat canisters developed with Nestlé Purina.[24]
  • $16.5 billion in revenue was associated with Amcor’s recyclable and recycle-ready packaging production in fiscal 2026.[24]
  • $160 million was paid by Ball for Florida Can Manufacturing in February 2025 to strengthen its regional packaging supply network.[26]

Stakeholder management in the food packaging industry

  • 25% of marketing stakeholders surveyed in Australia said they often considered packaging design as a food-waste-reduction strategy.[59]
  • 67% of innovation managers surveyed in Australia said they often considered packaging design as a food-waste-reduction strategy.[59]
  • 67% of research-and-development stakeholders surveyed in Australia said they often considered packaging design as a food-waste-reduction strategy.[59]
  • 84% of food companies in the German DLG study cited environmental protection as a reason for improving packaging environmental friendliness.[22]
  • 58% of chief executives or managing directors surveyed in Australia said they often considered packaging design as a food-waste-reduction strategy.[59]

Distribution channels in the food packaging industry

  • Food and drink packaging accounted for more than 90% of global retail packaging volume sales in 2024.[20]
  • 2.4 trillion food-packaging packs were sold globally in 2024 through retail channels, according to PMMI’s global-markets guide.[20]
  • 38% of Graphic Packaging’s 2024 sales were to food markets.[53]
  • 0.8% was the increase in global food-packaging sales volume in 2024.[20]
  • $8.8 billion was Graphic Packaging’s net revenue in 2024 across its packaging markets.[53]

Key questions about the food packaging industry

What is the size of the global food packaging market in 2026?
Global food packaging revenue is estimated at $444.9 billion in 2026, up from $421.6 billion in 2025.
How fast is the food packaging market expected to grow after 2026?
From 2026 to 2033, the market forecast shows a 4.3% compound annual growth rate, reaching $599.0 billion by 2033.
Which companies lead the food packaging industry?
Sonoco Products Company stands out for metal and paper food packaging because it provides metal, paper, flexible and rigid plastic packaging for food and consumer brands, while Amcor leads in flexible and rigid food packaging since it makes flexible packaging, rigid containers, cartons and closures for food and beverage brands.
Which technology shifts are most visible in 2025–2026 for packaging operations?
In 2026, 59% of packaging and processing OEMs reported actively using or testing AI, while U.S. organizations committed investment in real-time visibility and AI applications at 84% each in 2026.
What does the supplier structure look like for food packaging?
The industry mixes large multinational suppliers with many regional converters and specialist foodservice suppliers, and European fibre-based packaging alone generates €110 billion in revenue and supports about 710,000 jobs.
How are regulations affecting food-contact packaging requirements in 2026?
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) entered into force on February 11, 2025 and began applying on August 12, 2026, covering recyclability, recycled content, reuse, labelling, packaging reduction and restrictions on PFAS in food-contact packaging.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Food Packaging Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-packaging-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Food Packaging Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-packaging-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Food Packaging Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-packaging-industry-statistics.

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