Gitnux/Report 2026

Chemical Manufacturing Industry Statistics

See how chemical manufacturing is evolving across jobs, trade, and emissions with a clear snapshot of today’s pressure points and progress. From 538,000 workers employed in the US in 2023, down 1.2 percent from 2022, to Europe’s 34 percent GHG cuts since 1990, these numbers help you connect workforce shifts, output, and sustainability outcomes.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Chemical Manufacturing Industry Statistics
Nathan CaldwellWritten by Nathan Caldwell·Edited by Nikolas Papadopoulos·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The chemical manufacturing industry at a glance

Chemical manufacturing remains a $5.0 trillion global industry, but 2025 was marked by overcapacity, weak demand and a 5.8% sales decline among the world’s 50 largest chemical companies.

€5.03T[61]
Global chemical sales, 2024
$918.2B[62]
U.S. chemical manufacturing revenue, 2024
$770.8B[63]
U.S. chemical manufacturing output, 2025
45%[2]
China global sales share, 2024
Market size
Global chemical sales reached €5,031 billion in 2024. In the United States, chemical manufacturing generated $918.2 billion in sales, value of shipments or revenue in 2024.[61][62]
Forecast & CAGR
No reliable, directly comparable industry-wide forecast CAGR was identified from a primary or established industry source. Available evidence indicates global chemical industry growth of 3.6% in 2025, according to BASF’s 2025 report.[13]
Market share & regions
China accounted for 45% of global chemical sales in 2024, while Europe’s share declined from 21% in 2009 to 13% in 2024. Cefic reported 2024 sales of €2,298 billion for China, €635 billion for the EU27 and €622 billion for the United States.[2][61]
Segmentation
Major global segments in the 2024 Global Top 50 included petrochemicals with $452.3 billion in sales, diversified chemicals with $355.6 billion and industrial gases with $71.6 billion. U.S. chemical manufacturing also includes pharmaceuticals, basic chemicals, resins, paints, fertilizers and agricultural chemicals under NAICS 325.[64][65]
Key players & concentration
The top 10 companies in C&EN’s 2024 Global Top 50 accounted for 41.7% of the selected chemical-sales total. BASF led the ranking with $70.6 billion in chemical sales, followed by Sinopec at $58.1 billion and Dow at $43.0 billion.[64]
Pricing
U.S. producer prices for chemical manufacturing rose 0.9% during 2025 but remained 1.0% below December 2022 levels. The producer-price index was 99.0 in December 2025, using December 2022 as the base of 100.[66]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The industry is being shaped by demand for pharmaceuticals, electronics, construction materials and lower-carbon products, while overcapacity and weak demand remain major challenges. C&EN described 2025 as a deep downturn, with Global Top 50 chemical sales falling 5.8% to $965.8 billion.[64][13]
Consumer behavior & competition
Chemical manufacturers primarily compete through downstream industrial customers rather than direct household purchasing. U.S. Census data shows chemical manufacturing establishments increased 10.2%, from 13,571 in 2017 to 14,961 in 2022, while the overall manufacturing establishment count fell 1.7%.[65]
M&A
Berkshire Hathaway completed its acquisition of Occidental’s OxyChem business on January 2, 2026, for approximately $9.5 billion, following the originally announced $9.7 billion transaction. OxyChem operates 21 U.S. plants, two international sites and employs approximately 4,000 employees and contractors.[67]
Regulation
EPA’s December 2024 TSCA amendments require new PFAS and other persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals to undergo the full safety-review process before manufacture. The rule removes their eligibility for low-volume and low-release-and-exposure exemptions.[68]
Latest news
The latest industry data show continued pressure from excess capacity: total chemical sales for C&EN’s 50 largest companies fell 5.8% in 2025 to $965.8 billion. BASF reported that global chemical-industry growth nevertheless reached 3.6% in 2025, outpacing overall industrial production.[64][13]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Chemical Manufacturing Industry

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

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

Verdict

ExxonMobil leads Gitnux's 2026 chemical manufacturing ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with its Chemical Products segment sold 21.3 million tonnes in 2025. Air Liquide is the highest-ranked industrial gases manufacturer at 9.0, driven by industrial, medical and specialty gases supplied across 59 countries.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in petrochemicals

    ExxonMobil

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.2 · Petrochemicals

    Why we picked it: Its Chemical Products segment scale is quantified by 21.3 million tonnes sold in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit exxonmobil.com ↗

  2. Leader in industrial gases

    Air Liquide

    FR

    Ranked #2 · 9.0 · Industrial gases

    Why we picked it: Its industrial and specialty gases footprint is measured by supply in 59 countries.

    See in ranking ↓Visit airliquide.com ↗

  3. Leader in specialty chemicals

    INEOS

    GB

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Specialty chemicals

    Why we picked it: Integrated petrochemicals and specialty chemicals are reflected in €14.3 billion revenue in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit ineos.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 chemical manufacturing industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

ExxonMobil

Petrochemicals · US

9.2
2

Air Liquide

Industrial gases · FR

9.0
3

INEOS

Specialty chemicals · GB

8.8
4

Yara International

Fertilizers · NO

8.8
5

Nutrien

Fertilizers · CA

8.6
6

LG Chem

Petrochemicals, polymers and advanced materials · KR

8.5
7

SABIC

Petrochemicals, polymers and specialty chemicals · SA

8.4
8

DuPont

Specialty materials and industrial technologies · US

8.4
9

Evonik Industries

Specialty chemicals and advanced materials · DE

8.2
10

PPG Industries

Coatings, paints and specialty chemicals · US

8.0

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.

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

Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the chemical manufacturing industry. In Chemical Manufacturing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/chemical-manufacturing-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

U.S. basic chemical manufacturing shipments

U.S. basic chemical manufacturing shipments grew from $211.7B in 2019 to $303.9B in 2024.

$211.7B
Start
+7.5%
CAGR · 5y
$304B
Projected
20192024
source-verifiedfred.stlouisfed.org2024

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology adoption is measurable: more than 95% of chemical companies developed an AI strategy, and 68% of chemical-industry businesses reported AI in 2024 with an estimated 10% productivity increase.

AI in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 68% of European Industrial Ecosystem businesses reported adopting some form of AI in 2024, with estimated productivity gains of 10%.[1]
  • 35% of surveyed European Industrial Ecosystem businesses reported employing fewer staff as a result of AI adoption in 2024.[1]
  • 23% of surveyed European Industrial Ecosystem businesses identified data analysis as AI’s greatest impact area in 2024.[1]
  • 15% of surveyed European Industrial Ecosystem businesses identified production-process automation as AI’s greatest impact area in 2024.[1]
  • More than 95% of chemical companies had developed an AI strategy, according to an Accenture survey cited by Cefic.[2]
  • 4% of chemical companies had not started adopting AI, according to an Accenture survey cited by Cefic.[2]

Automation in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 15% of surveyed European Industrial Ecosystem businesses identified automation of production processes as AI’s greatest impact area in 2024.[1]
  • 65% of chemical-subindustry companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity likely to significantly affect their activities.[1]

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.[3]
  • Among EII businesses, 68% reported adopting AI in 2024, with an estimated 10% productivity increase.[1]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 57% identified moving to SAP S/4HANA as a top focus area in 2025.[3]
  • Across European chemical subindustries, 65% of companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity that would significantly impact their activities in 2024.[1]

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

  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 45% had implemented AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.[4]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 53% had implemented AI for real-time process control and optimization in 2025.[4]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for quality inspection or defect detection in 2025.[4]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for production planning and scheduling in 2025.[4]

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

  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, 15% planned to migrate to cloud computing in coming years in 2023.[2]
  • Among EII businesses, 52% reported increased productivity from cloud computing in 2024, while 46% reported no change.[1]
  • Among EII businesses, 2% reported decreased productivity from cloud computing in 2024.[1]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, more than 35% had at least partially migrated to cloud computing in 2023.[2]

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

  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported no productivity change from big data in 2024.[1]
  • Among EII businesses, 6% reported decreased productivity from big data in 2024.[1]
  • Among EII businesses, 48% reported increased productivity from big data in 2024.[1]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 49% cited gaining actionable insights from data and analytics as a current challenge in 2025.[3]

IoT in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported increased productivity from IoT in 2024.[1]
  • Across 23 European countries, close to one-third of manufacturing firms used IoT in 2021.[5]
  • Across European countries, 29% of firms used IoT on average in 2021.[5]
  • Among EII businesses, 56% reported no productivity change from IoT in 2024.[1]

Innovation in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • U.S. chemical companies performed or funded $143.745 billion in business R&D in 2024.[6]
  • 59% of German chemical firms conducted continuous R&D in 2023.[7]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Plants produce high-frequency measurement streams and large datasets, with 100–1,000 data points generated every 1–10 seconds and 1–20 terabytes of annual R&D data estimated for a representative chemical company.

Business intelligence in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 5–10 production data points were generated every 10 seconds by each representative piece of chemical-plant equipment.[2]
  • 1,000–5,000 customers were included in Cefic's representative chemical-company customer-interaction profile.[2]
  • 4% of chemical companies had not started an AI program in the Accenture research cited by Cefic.[2]
  • 5,000–10,000 pieces of equipment per plant were included in Cefic's representative chemical-company production profile.[2]
  • More than 95% of chemical companies had at least developed an AI strategy in the Accenture research cited by Cefic.[2]
  • 50–100 plants were included in Cefic's representative chemical-company production profile.[2]

Data analytics in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 2–5 test series per technician per day were included in Cefic's representative chemical-company R&D data profile.[2]
  • 1–2 terabytes of annual customer-interaction data were estimated for a representative chemical company.[2]
  • 10–100 samples per test were included in Cefic's representative chemical-company R&D data profile.[2]
  • 100–1,000 data points were generated every 1–10 seconds in each representative chemical plant's measurement stream.[2]
  • 10–20 data points per customer interaction were included in Cefic's representative chemical-company customer-interaction profile.[2]
  • 1–20 terabytes of annual R&D data were estimated for a representative chemical company.[2]

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

  • 67% of supply-management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[8]
  • 89% of manufacturers said data use improved their decision-making processes in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[9]
  • 42% of manufacturers had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026, while 51% did not.[9]
  • 49% of supply-management organizations rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024, based on an Institute for Supply Management survey.[8]
  • 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[9]
  • 44% of companies in the manufacturing survey reported AI-project failures caused by poor data quality in 2025, across surveyed manufacturers.[10]

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

  • 67% of GCC chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[11]
  • 52% of global chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[11]
  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[8]
  • 46% of GCC chemical companies had established common data standards with collaboration partners in 2022.[11]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[8]
  • 28% of manufacturers had a data-governance leader in 2026, across the Manufacturing Leadership Council survey.[9]

KPIs in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 76% of manufacturing organizations tracked cost to serve as a service KPI in the survey covering the chemicals subvertical.[12]
  • 75% of manufacturing organizations tracked product uptime as a service KPI in the survey covering the chemicals subvertical.[12]
  • 71% of manufacturing organizations tracked first-contact resolution rates as a service KPI in the survey covering the chemicals subvertical.[12]
  • 70% of manufacturing organizations tracked customer satisfaction as a service KPI in the survey covering the chemicals subvertical.[12]
  • 75% of manufacturing organizations tracked customer-retention rates as a service KPI in the survey covering the chemicals subvertical.[12]
  • 66% of manufacturing organizations tracked aftermarket service and sales revenue as a service KPI in the survey covering the chemicals subvertical.[12]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth remains modest while deal activity persists: global chemical-industry M&A deal value reached $95 billion in 2025, up from $79 billion in 2024.

Growth in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • −2.4% was EU27 chemical-production growth in January–June 2025 compared with the same period of 2024.[2]
  • 3.2 times higher was Europe’s ethylene-production cost than the United States’ in 2023, according to Cefic.[2]
  • 1.2 million people were employed by Europe’s chemical industry according to Cefic’s 2024 facts-and-figures release.[2]
  • €10.2 billion was invested in research and innovation by the European chemical industry according to Cefic’s 2024 facts-and-figures release.[2]
  • 4.3% was Brazil’s chemical-production growth in January–June 2025 compared with the same period of 2024.[2]
  • 2.6% was U.S. chemical-production growth in January–June 2025 compared with the same period of 2024.[2]

Differentiation in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • €87 million was BASF Chemicals segment research-and-development expense in 2025, up 9.6% from €80 million in 2024.[13]
  • 9.6% was the increase in BASF Chemicals segment research-and-development expense in 2025 compared with 2024.[13]

Mergers and acquisitions in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 21% was the year-over-year increase in global chemical-industry M&A deal value in 2025.[14]
  • $95 billion was global chemical-industry M&A deal value in 2025, up from $79 billion in 2024.[14]
  • 8.9× was the average strategic-acquisition transaction multiple in chemicals in 2024.[15]
  • 4% was the increase in non-mega-deal chemicals M&A activity in 2025 compared with 2024.[16]
  • 40% of global chemicals M&A value in 2025 came from four transactions, according to Kearney.[16]
  • 11.7× was the average strategic-acquisition transaction multiple in chemicals during the first three quarters of 2025.[15]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce metrics show uneven volatility and remote uptake, with Akzo Nobel’s 11.0% and Air Liquide’s 13.5% employee-turnover rates in fiscal 2025.

Hiring in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • U.S. chemical companies that performed or funded business R&D employed 227,000 people domestically in 2024.[6]
  • The U.S. energy and chemicals workforce is projected to grow 4.1% by 2033.[17]
  • Direct employment in the U.S. energy and chemicals sector fell 6.5% between 2014 and 2024.[17]

Employee retention in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • Akzo Nobel reported an 11.0% employee-turnover rate in fiscal 2025.[18]
  • Air Liquide reported a 13.5% employee-turnover rate in fiscal 2025.[18]
  • Chemical companies in a 2025 company-report dataset had a median employee-turnover rate of 10.6%.[18]
  • The GCC petrochemical and chemical industry recorded a 94% employee-retention rate in 2023.[11]
  • Chemical companies in the same 2025 dataset reported employee-turnover rates ranging from 2.8% to 24.1%.[18]

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

  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 25% worked exclusively remotely in August 2026.[19]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 25% preferred mostly remote work in 2025.[20]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[21]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 8% preferred fully remote work in 2025.[20]

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

  • Across U.S. hybrid employees, 48% said their team had not discussed a formal or informal collaboration plan in 2026.[19]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred a hybrid work arrangement in November 2025.[19]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[19]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[21]
  • U.S. hybrid employees spent an average of 46% of their workweek on-site in 2026.[19]

Upskilling in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 1.2 million U.S. energy and chemicals workers need upskilling, according to Deloitte analysis.[17]
  • Chemical-industry labor productivity remained flat for more than a decade across 79 companies studied from 2008 to 2023.[22]

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

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

DEI in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • White workers represented 71.1% of the U.S. industrial and miscellaneous chemicals workforce in 2024.[23]
  • Women represented 26% of the chemical-industry workforce in the 2025 EPCA diversity survey, up from 24% in 2015.[24]
  • People of color held 57% of lower-paying chemical-industry positions in Texas, according to a 2024 analysis.[25]
  • People of color held 39% of higher-paying chemical-industry positions in Texas, according to a 2024 analysis.[25]
  • Women represented 34% of Everlight Chemical Group’s STEM workforce in 2024.[26]

Change Management in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across organizations surveyed globally, 46% said they were succeeding at business outcomes during times of change in 2022.[27]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Digital customer execution varies, with 41.7% of chemical manufacturers reporting end-to-end digital customer journeys in 2022.

Customer experience in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 41.7% of chemical manufacturers had end-to-end digital customer journeys in 2022, the largest category in the IDC subsegment table.[28]
  • 16 customer needs were underestimated by chemical companies in 2025, up from seven in 2020, according to research spanning the chemical value chain.[22]
  • 10 customer attributes were overestimated by chemical companies in 2025, down from 17 in 2020, according to Accenture research.[22]
  • 36% of chemical customers were willing to pay a premium of at least 5% when their needs were fully met in 2025 across 12 countries.[22]
  • 14.4% of chemical manufacturers were in the early stages of digital customer-journey development in 2022.[28]

Customer acquisition in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 15% of chemical, energy and materials buyers found speaking with someone in person helpful when reordering exactly the same product or service.[14]
  • Approximately $800 million in annual online revenue was generated by Baosteel’s chemical-industry-related online activities in the period reported by McKinsey.[14]
  • 80% of chemical, energy and materials buyers found speaking with someone in person helpful when considering a completely new product or service.[14]
  • 60% of Baosteel’s online sales came from other companies’ products after its online channel grew more than threefold between 2013 and 2015.[14]

Lead generation in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 18% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers identified organic SEO as their top qualified-lead source in 2026.[29]
  • 1% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers identified display advertising as their top qualified-lead source in 2026.[29]
  • 2% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers identified trade-publication advertising as their top qualified-lead source in 2026.[29]
  • 7% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers identified paid social as their top qualified-lead source in 2026.[29]
  • 5% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers identified paid search as their top qualified-lead source in 2026.[29]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Demand for proof is explicit: 61% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers expected buyers to demand stronger proof of ROI in 2027.

Marketing in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 87% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers expected their marketing teams to grow in 2027.[29]
  • 85% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers planned to increase agency spending in 2027.[29]
  • 24% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers planned to allocate the largest share of 2027 marketing investment to account-based marketing.[29]
  • 19% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers reported annual marketing budgets above $1 million in 2026.[29]
  • 61% of U.S. chemical manufacturing marketers expected buyers to demand stronger proof of return on investment in 2027.[29]

Digital marketing in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 75% of German chemical and pharmaceutical companies rated digitalization relevant or very relevant in 2020.[30]
  • Almost 90% of surveyed specialty chemical companies planned to increase digital investment after 2023.[31]
  • 91% of German chemical and pharmaceutical companies rated digitalization relevant or very relevant in 2025.[30]
  • More than 80% of surveyed specialty chemical executives said digital investments made since 2020 had successfully achieved company goals in 2023.[31]
  • Digital marketing and sales approaches were estimated to have annual EBITDA potential of $105 billion to $205 billion for the $3.8 trillion chemical industry.[14]

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

  • Across B2B companies, 43% of marketers reported outstanding results from influencer programs in the 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[32]
  • Across B2B companies, 55% of marketers used creators in 2025, based on a March 2025 Ipsos survey of 1,500 marketing professionals.[33]
  • In U.S. manufacturing, 19% of marketers used influencer marketing among paid channels in the prior 12 months, according to a 2025 industry benchmark.[34]
  • 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.[35]
  • Across B2B companies, 56% of marketers identified social-media posts as the most effective influencer-program content type in a September 2024 U.S. survey.[35]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational digitization and safety performance both appear in the data, including GCC capacity utilization of 93% in 2023 and BASF 0.03 high-severity process-safety incidents per 200,000 working hours in 2024.

Process optimization in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 15% of surveyed chemical-industry businesses identified production-process automation as the area where artificial intelligence had its greatest impact.[1]
  • 40% of medium-sized chemical and pharmaceutical companies said they had comprehensively digitized production and business processes or extensively used data to optimize operations, according to a 2022 survey.[36]
  • 68% of chemical-industry businesses surveyed had adopted artificial intelligence in 2024 that increased company productivity by an estimated 10%.[1]
  • 60% of specialty-chemical companies with artificial-intelligence plans for research and development targeted recipe optimization.[37]
  • 50% of medium-sized chemical and pharmaceutical companies planned major investments in digitizing methods and business processes in the survey year.[36]

Operational efficiency in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 93% was the GCC chemical industry's capacity-utilization rate in 2023.[38]
  • 81% was the European Union chemical industry's capacity-utilization rate in 2023.[38]
  • 75% was the United States chemical industry's capacity-utilization rate in 2023.[38]
  • 0.03 high-severity process-safety incidents per 200,000 working hours were recorded by BASF worldwide in 2024.[39]
  • 5 times better was the employee safety record of Responsible Care chemical companies than the average U.S. manufacturing-sector rate in 2024.[40]

Quality management in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 90% of Tier 1 process-safety events reported by American Chemistry Council members were low severity in the latest period covered by its 2024 report.[40]
  • 26% was the reduction in employee total recordable injury and illness rates reported by Responsible Care companies from 2017 to 2025.[40]
  • 0.03 process-safety events per 200,000 hours was Chevron Phillips Chemical's Tier 1 and Tier 2 event rate in 2024.[41]
  • 0.01 was Chemours' Tier 1 process-safety incident rate per 200,000 hours in 2024.[42]
  • 24% was the reduction in Tier 1 process-safety events reported by American Chemistry Council members from 2017 to 2024.[40]

Supply chain in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 24% of U.S. chemical manufacturers expected raw-material inventories to increase six months after the fourth quarter of 2024.[40]
  • 71% of U.S. chemical manufacturers reported finished-goods inventories held steady during the fourth quarter of 2024.[40]
  • 58% of U.S. chemical manufacturers reported that order backlogs were about the same in the fourth quarter of 2024.[40]
  • 74% of U.S. chemical manufacturers reported raw-material inventory levels were about the same in the fourth quarter of 2024.[40]
  • 6.3% was the projected compound annual growth rate for the global chemical-distribution market from 2024 to 2030, following a $256.6 billion market in 2023.[43]

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.[44]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 72.8% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023.[45]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 34.1% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing cited labour-cost reduction as a motivation during 2021–2023.[45]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 100% of customer respondents allocated only 0–25% of company capital expenditure to reshoring projects in 2025.[44]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents were actively pushing onshoring projects in 2025.[44]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing remains constrained versus prior levels: U.S. producer prices rose 0.9% in 2025 but were 1.0% below December 2022 levels.

Pricing strategy in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 28.8% of UK chemical companies reported lower raw-material prices in the second quarter of 2024.[46]
  • 50 was the finished-goods-price balance reported by UK chemical companies for the second quarter of 2024.[46]
  • Lower net pricing was a principal factor behind Solvay's 8.2% organic decline in full-year 2024 underlying EBITDA.[47]
  • 23.1% of UK chemical companies reported lower finished-goods prices in the second quarter of 2024.[46]
  • 49 was the raw-material-price balance reported by UK chemical companies for the second quarter of 2024.[46]

Cost reduction in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • CHF30 million was the maximum restructuring impact associated with Clariant's sunliquid business in 2024.[48]
  • $1 billion was Dow's targeted annual cost savings for 2023 under its workforce-reduction program.[25]
  • $500 million was BASF's targeted annual savings from its 2023 cost-reduction program.[25]
  • €80 million was Solvay's 2024 structural-cost-savings target.[47]
  • €110 million in structural cost savings was achieved by Solvay in 2024.[47]

Profitability in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 16.0% was Clariant's reported EBITDA-margin guidance after it raised the target by 100 basis points during 2024.[48]
  • 13.6% was Evonik's adjusted EBITDA margin in 2024, up from 10.8% in 2023.[49]
  • €361 million was Solvay's 2024 free cash flow.[47]
  • 7% was the average annual total shareholder return for the global chemical industry over the five years to December 2024.[50]
  • €445 million was Solvay's 2024 underlying net profit from continuing operations.[47]

Financial planning in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • €1.5 billion was Solvay's underlying net debt at the end of 2024.[47]
  • €300 million was Solvay's 2025 free-cash-flow outlook.[47]
  • €1.0 billion to €1.1 billion was Solvay's 2025 underlying EBITDA outlook.[47]
  • 1.5 times was Solvay's underlying net-debt-to-EBITDA leverage ratio at the end of 2024.[47]
  • €355 million was Solvay's 2024 capital expenditure.[47]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Service and measurement show up as tracked outcomes, including 75% of manufacturing organizations tracking product uptime as a service or aftermarket metric.

Product development in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 9.2% was the share of revenue from new products reported by U.S. chemical companies in the American Chemistry Council survey.[40]
  • 4.0 was the chemical industry's reported R&D-to-product conversion ratio.[40]
  • 44.5% of BASF's new patent filings in 2024 focused on sustainability-related innovations.[13]
  • 87% of BASF's R&D expenses in 2024 were attributable to operating divisions, mainly for application- and customer-related work.[13]
  • $2.061 billion was BASF's R&D expense in 2024.[13]

Product lifecycle in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 40–100 million metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions were estimated to be wasted annually through chemical end-of-life losses in the United States.[51]
  • 6,000 years of healthy human life were estimated to be lost annually from toxic emissions associated with chemical end-of-life disposal in the United States.[51]
  • 10% of the 158 million metric tons of chemicals produced annually in the United States were recycled in the studied chemical lifecycle analysis.[51]
  • 1–10 terabytes of annual data were estimated for a representative chemical company's product portfolio.[2]
  • 100–1,000 data points per stock-keeping unit were identified for representative chemical-product portfolio records.[2]

After-sales in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 34% of chemical manufacturers reported excelling at aftermarket service and sales revenue.[12]
  • 75% of manufacturing organizations tracked product uptime as a service or aftermarket metric.[12]
  • 50% of manufacturers cited improved customer loyalty and satisfaction as a factor driving service and aftermarket changes.[12]
  • 76% of manufacturing organizations tracked cost to serve as a service or aftermarket metric.[12]
  • 75% of manufacturing organizations tracked customer-retention rates as a service or aftermarket metric.[12]

Value proposition in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 13% of BASF's R&D expenses in 2024 supported cross-divisional and strategic topics beyond operating-division work.[13]
  • 3 factors were rated most important by customers in the 2024 advanced manufacturing customer-experience benchmark: supplier trust, product or solution quality, and order-delivery reliability.[52]
  • More than 7,200 customer responses were collected in the 2024 advanced manufacturing customer-experience benchmark covering chemical manufacturers and distributors.[52]
  • 2.0 was the chemical industry's reported new-products-to-margin conversion ratio.[40]
  • 50–150 data points per customer were identified in Cefic's representative chemical-company customer-interaction profile.[2]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability reporting is quantified, including BASF 7,102 million cubic meters of water used globally in 2024, of which 5,734 million cubic meters were recycled or reused.

Sustainability in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 24 Responsible Care audits were conducted by BASF in 2024.[13]
  • 95% of manufactured products and materials rely on chemical processes, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s 2024 chemical-industry guidance.[53]
  • 30% of BASF production sites were located in water-stress areas in 2024.[13]
  • 98.1% of BASF’s 2024 waste generation was classified as hazardous waste.[13]
  • 7,102 million cubic meters of water were used by BASF globally in 2024, of which 5,734 million cubic meters were recycled or reused.[13]

ESG in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 86% of chemical companies either maintained or increased their climate ambition in 2024, according to PwC’s analysis of companies disclosing to CDP.[54]
  • 63% of chemical companies were on track to meet Scope 1 and 2 targets in 2024.[54]
  • Dow achieved inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the 24th consecutive year in 2024.[52]
  • 50% of chemical companies reported no change in climate ambition in 2024.[54]
  • Chemical companies represented 13% Scope 2 and 87% Scope 1 of BASF’s 17.948 million metric tons of Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2024.[13]

Ethics in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 71% of chemicals-management professionals reported that suppliers responded inconsistently to requests for information in the 2024 Enhesa survey.[55]
  • 62% of American Chemistry Council member companies cited inconsistent or inappropriate enforcement of ambiguous requirements as a regulatory challenge.[56]
  • 72% of American Chemistry Council member companies cited inconsistency between regulations issued by different governments as a challenge.[56]
  • 64% of chemicals-management professionals said suppliers provided only partial chemical information when they responded in the 2024 Enhesa survey.[55]
  • 79% of American Chemistry Council member companies said regulations were challenging when agencies used legal discretion to set excessively stringent standards.[56]

Circular economy in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 6 of 9 planetary boundaries had been transgressed when the WBCSD issued its 2024 circular-metrics guidance for the chemical industry.[53]
  • 10% of the 158 million metric tons of chemicals produced annually in the United States were recycled, according to a 2024 material-flow analysis.[51]
  • 95% of manufactured products and materials rely on chemical processes, making the chemical industry a potential enabler of circular transitions across value chains.[53]
  • 6,000 years of healthy human life were estimated to be lost annually from toxic emissions associated with chemical end-of-life losses in the United States.[51]
  • 46.8% of BASF’s 636,663 metric tons of waste was recycled in 2024.[13]

Carbon footprint in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 63% of chemical companies were on track for Scope 1 and 2 climate targets in 2024.[54]
  • Dow reported 40.04 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent for Scope 3 Category 1 purchased goods and services in 2024.[52]
  • 17.948 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent were BASF’s Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions in 2024.[13]
  • 98% of BASF’s Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions consisted of carbon dioxide in 2024.[13]
  • 13% of chemical companies reduced or recalibrated their decarbonization ambitions in 2024.[54]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Regional positioning is clear in customer mix, with China’s 45% share of global chemical sales in 2024.

Globalization in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • 3.9% was global chemical-industry growth in 2024, according to BASF’s estimate.[13]
  • 7.9% was China’s chemical-production growth in January–June 2025 compared with January–June 2024.[2]
  • 2.6% was U.S. chemical-production growth in January–June 2025 compared with January–June 2024.[2]
  • 5.6% was the growth of chemical production in Asia in 2024, according to BASF’s global industry estimate.[13]
  • 7% was the increase in EU exports of chemicals and related products to non-EU countries in 2025 compared with 2024.[45]

Distribution channels in the chemical manufacturing industry

  • €10.055 billion was BASF’s Chemicals segment sales in 2025, measured by customer location.[13]
  • 18.6% of BASF Chemicals segment sales in 2025 were generated from customers in Asia Pacific.[13]
  • 25.7% of BASF Chemicals segment sales in 2025 were generated from customers in North America.[13]
  • 50.1% of BASF Chemicals segment sales in 2025 were generated from customers in Europe.[13]
  • 5.6% of BASF Chemicals segment sales in 2025 were generated from customers in South America, Africa and the Middle East.[13]

Key questions about the Chemical Manufacturing Industry

What is the current global market size for chemical manufacturing?
Global chemical sales reached €5,031 billion in 2024.
How fast is the chemical manufacturing market growing?
Evidence indicates global chemical industry growth of 3.6% in 2025, according to BASF’s 2025 report.
Which companies lead the chemical manufacturing industry?
ExxonMobil leads Gitnux's 2026 chemical manufacturing ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with its Chemical Products segment sold 21.3 million tonnes in 2025. Air Liquide is the highest-ranked industrial gases manufacturer at 9.0, driven by industrial, medical and specialty gases supplied across 59 countries.
What technology and automation shifts are showing up in chemical manufacturing?
More than 95% of chemical companies had developed an AI strategy, and 68% of chemical-industry businesses adopted AI in 2024 that increased productivity by an estimated 10%.
How concentrated is the market structure among major chemical manufacturers?
The top 10 companies in C&EN’s 2024 Global Top 50 accounted for 41.7% of the selected chemical-sales total.
What regulatory pressure is changing chemical manufacturing inputs and workflows?
EPA’s December 2024 TSCA amendments require new PFAS and other persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals to undergo the full safety-review process before manufacture.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Chemical Manufacturing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/chemical-manufacturing-industry-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Chemical Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/chemical-manufacturing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Chemical Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/chemical-manufacturing-industry-statistics.

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