Outdoor lighting sits at the intersection of street performance and climate impact, and the market has moved fast enough that even long term infrastructure planning now depends on precise, up to date specs. The U.S. already has 37.0 million reported streetlights, while the global outdoor lighting market was valued at $12.4 billion in 2023 and is forecast to keep expanding at a 14.9% CAGR. Alongside the hardware facts like IP65, IK08, and maintained lumen metrics, the industry is also tracking deployment shifts in LED share and smart controls that can cut energy use dramatically, which is where the real tension in the dataset starts.
Key Takeaways
- 37.0 million reported streetlights in the United States in 2020
- 1.7 million people are employed directly and indirectly by the U.S. outdoor lighting/lamp/lighting-related industry (as part of the broader electrical equipment employment footprint reported for lighting and related manufacturing)
- $12.4 billion global market size for outdoor lighting in 2023
- IES recommended practice supports photometric performance evaluation using total luminous flux, CCT, and distribution (outdoor)
- L70 lumen maintenance metric indicates the time until 70% of initial lumens remain
- IP65-rated outdoor luminaires are protected against dust ingress and water jets
- NREL estimates that LED conversions plus controls can save billions in public-sector energy costs in the U.S. over time
- Municipal LED retrofits frequently include smart controls such as adaptive dimming and centralized management platforms
- The European Commission adopted regulations phasing out inefficient lighting sources under Ecodesign requirements affecting lighting efficiency
- Use of solar-powered outdoor lighting reduces grid electricity consumption to near zero for the lighting period in off-grid cases
- External power supply efficiency requirements under EU Ecodesign improve energy use in lighting systems
- U.S. wholesale electricity prices determine energy savings monetization for outdoor lighting; data show monthly average retail rates vary by state
With 37 million US streetlights and strong LED growth, outdoor lighting is shifting to smarter, energy saving systems.
Related reading
Market Size
137.0 million reported streetlights in the United States in 2020[1]
Directional
21.7 million people are employed directly and indirectly by the U.S. outdoor lighting/lamp/lighting-related industry (as part of the broader electrical equipment employment footprint reported for lighting and related manufacturing)[2]
Verified
3$12.4 billion global market size for outdoor lighting in 2023[3]
Verified
4$6.9 billion outdoor lighting market size in 2018[3]
Verified
514.9% CAGR forecast for the outdoor lighting market (2019–2026)[3]
Single source
6$3.8 billion U.S. outdoor lighting market value (2019) as reported in a U.S. market study[4]
Verified
7LED outdoor lighting accounted for 60.0% of outdoor lighting market share in 2020[4]
Verified
8Smart outdoor lighting market expected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2019 to $10.3 billion by 2027[5]
Single source
9Smart lighting market projected CAGR of 30.0% from 2020 to 2027[5]
Verified
10$11.6 billion global lighting market size in 2020 (context for lighting demand including outdoor segments)[6]
Verified
11LEDs are estimated to account for more than 50% of global lighting sales (including outdoor applications) by 2020[7]
Verified
12$10.5 billion global street lighting market size in 2022[8]
Directional
139.2% CAGR forecast for the street lighting market (2023–2028)[8]
Verified
14$1.9 billion global outdoor lighting controls market size in 2022[9]
Verified
1513.5% CAGR forecast for outdoor lighting controls market (2023–2028)[9]
Verified
1628.6 million metric tons of CO2 emissions are associated with lighting globally (context for electricity demand impacting outdoor lighting)[6]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
With the outdoor lighting market reaching $12.4 billion globally in 2023 and projected to grow at a 14.9% CAGR through 2026, LEDs already held 60.0% of the outdoor lighting share in 2020 while smart outdoor lighting is set to surge from $1.3 billion in 2019 to $10.3 billion by 2027.
More related reading
Performance Metrics
1IES recommended practice supports photometric performance evaluation using total luminous flux, CCT, and distribution (outdoor)[10]
Verified
2L70 lumen maintenance metric indicates the time until 70% of initial lumens remain[11]
Verified
3IP65-rated outdoor luminaires are protected against dust ingress and water jets[12]
Verified
4IP66-rated outdoor luminaires are protected against strong water jets[12]
Verified
5IK08 impact rating withstands 5.0 joules of impact energy (outdoor luminaire durability rating commonly used)[13]
Verified
6IK10 impact rating withstands 20 joules of impact energy (high-impact outdoor luminaire durability)[13]
Verified
7Color rendering index (CRI) of 70 or higher is often required for roadway pedestrian visibility performance targets[14]
Verified
8ANSI/IES RP-8 roadway lighting practice uses maintained luminance/illuminance levels as performance metrics[15]
Verified
9EN 60598-1 requires luminaire safety testing including thermal behavior under specified conditions (relevant to outdoor installations)[16]
Directional
10IEEE 1588 (PTP) enables precise time synchronization for networked control applications; a key basis for coordinated smart lighting control[17]
Verified
11OpenADR supports event-based signals (e.g., demand response) that can be used with smart outdoor lighting energy optimization[18]
Verified
12Outdoor lighting installation durability targets often exceed 25-year service life for many roadway asset classes[19]
Single source
13Most LED luminaires are designed to operate at -40°C to +50°C ambient ranges for outdoor use (typical spec range)[20]
Directional
Performance Metrics Interpretation
The outdoor lighting category is strongly trending toward long-life, rugged, and performance-verified LED systems, aiming for over 25 years of service while meeting tough protection and durability needs such as IP65 or IP66 and IK08 or even IK10 impact resistance.
More related reading
Industry Trends
1NREL estimates that LED conversions plus controls can save billions in public-sector energy costs in the U.S. over time[21]
Verified
2Municipal LED retrofits frequently include smart controls such as adaptive dimming and centralized management platforms[22]
Verified
3The European Commission adopted regulations phasing out inefficient lighting sources under Ecodesign requirements affecting lighting efficiency[23]
Single source
4Council Directive 2008/50/EC requires air quality monitoring networks; outdoor lighting projects often align with broader smart infrastructure modernization[24]
Verified
5ISO 14001 certification supports environmental management adoption among lighting manufacturers serving outdoor sectors[25]
Directional
6EU Ecodesign policy requires minimum energy performance for external power supplies used in lighting equipment[26]
Verified
7The global smart lighting market growth is supported by adoption of connected lighting networks and reduced energy costs[27]
Verified
8The street lighting market includes an increasing share of fixtures with photocell sensors and remote monitoring capabilities[8]
Verified
9Remote management and IoT integration are key drivers for outdoor lighting controls adoption according to multiple market studies[9]
Single source
10Many outdoor lighting tenders specify IP65+ ingress protection and IK ratings for vandal resistance[28]
Verified
11Photobiological safety requirements constrain blue-light risk (relevant for LED outdoor luminaires)[29]
Verified
12Common glare/comfort standards influence roadway luminance and cutoff optics selection[30]
Verified
13EU RoHS restricts hazardous substances (impacting electronics in outdoor lighting fixtures)[31]
Verified
14EU WEEE sets collection/recycling requirements for waste electrical and electronic equipment including luminaires[32]
Verified
15Energy-efficient outdoor lighting programs can reduce public lighting energy consumption by ~30% to 50% (program guidance)[7]
Verified
16The EU’s Ecodesign for External Power Supplies improves average efficiency of power supplies used in lighting systems[26]
Verified
17Energy savings from street lighting retrofits with LED and controls is commonly modeled as 30%–70% depending on baseline and control strategy[33]
Verified
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across public programs, energy-efficient outdoor lighting is consistently projected to cut consumption by about 30% to 50%, and streetlight retrofit models often show 30% to 70% savings when LEDs are paired with controls.
More related reading
Cost Analysis
1Use of solar-powered outdoor lighting reduces grid electricity consumption to near zero for the lighting period in off-grid cases[34]
Verified
2External power supply efficiency requirements under EU Ecodesign improve energy use in lighting systems[26]
Verified
3U.S. wholesale electricity prices determine energy savings monetization for outdoor lighting; data show monthly average retail rates vary by state[35]
Verified
4Time-of-use tariffs can reduce peak energy costs; smart dimming for outdoor lighting targets lower-rate hours where applicable[36]
Directional
5Lightning/utility outages can require repairs; IP-rated luminaires reduce moisture ingress and related repair costs (IEC IP rating reduces failure)[37]
Single source
6Battery costs for solar lighting reduce over time; lithium-ion battery cost trends improved substantially between 2010 and 2020[38]
Verified
7Battery pack prices declined to around $137/kWh in 2020 in a widely cited benchmark (affects solar-off-grid lighting costs)[39]
Single source
8Outdoor lighting controls can reduce energy by enabling dimming schedules; some deployments target 10%–20% reductions over basic LED-only retrofits[40]
Single source
Cost Analysis Interpretation
As solar and battery costs have fallen sharply, with lithium-ion packs dropping to about $137 per kWh by 2020 and deployments often targeting 10% to 20% additional savings through dimming and controls, outdoor lighting is steadily shifting from grid dependence to measurable energy cost reductions.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
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
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Outdoor Lighting Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/outdoor-lighting-industry-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Outdoor Lighting Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/outdoor-lighting-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Outdoor Lighting Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/outdoor-lighting-industry-statistics.
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