Gitnux/Report 2026

Papermaking Industry Statistics

298Statistics
103Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
47mRead
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 39 days

01 Industry overview

The papermaking industry at a glance

Papermaking is a mature, packaging-led industry: global paper-products revenue reached $270.2 billion in 2024, while European paper and board production declined to 77.4 million tonnes in 2025.

$270.2B[92]
Global market size, 2024
0.7%[92]
Forecast CAGR, 2025–2030
77.4M tonnes[60]
European production, 2025
40.7%[92]
Asia-Pacific market share, 2024
Market size
The global paper-products market was valued at $270.2 billion in 2024. In Europe, paper and board production reached 77.4 million tonnes in 2025, according to Cepi.[92][60]
Forecast & CAGR
The global paper-products market is forecast to reach $274.7 billion by 2030, representing a 0.7% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. Within specialty papers, Smithers forecasts consumption to rise from 28.1 million tonnes in 2025 to 31.3 million tonnes in 2030, equal to a 2.1% CAGR.[92][93]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific accounted for 40.7% of global paper-products market revenue in 2024. Within Cepi-member Europe, Germany represented 24.4% of 2024 paper and board production, followed by Sweden at 10.2% and Italy at 10.1%.[92][60]
Segmentation
Packaging paper and board was the strongest European segment in 2024, with production up 6.7%; tissue paper increased 5.6%, while graphic paper rose 3.8%. Cepi reported total 2024 paper and board production of 78.742 million tonnes in its member countries.[60]
Key players & concentration
The European market is concentrated among major national production bases: Germany, Sweden and Italy together accounted for 44.7% of Cepi-member paper and board production in 2024. The available source does not provide a comparable global company-level concentration ratio.[60]
Pricing
U.S. producer-price data show the March 2026 index for corrugated paperboard in sheets and rolls at 354.173, with the index based on 1982=100. This indicates that paper pricing remains closely tracked through producer-price measures rather than a single global benchmark.[94]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Packaging demand remains the principal growth driver, supported by e-commerce, consumer goods and food distribution, while digital substitution continues to pressure graphic paper. European producers also face high energy and manufacturing costs, geopolitical uncertainty and trade tensions; Cepi reported European production down 1.6% in 2025 and graphic paper down 7.3%.[60]
Consumer behavior & competition
European paper and board consumption increased 7.0% in 2024, with packaging demand outpacing traditional graphic-paper demand. Competition is shaped by regional production economics, energy costs, global overcapacity and the shift toward recyclable, fiber-based packaging.[60]
M&A
Consolidation remains active in paper and packaging. The European Commission conditionally cleared International Paper’s acquisition of DS Smith in January 2025, while UPM and Sappi agreed in May 2026 to form a 50/50 graphic-paper joint venture with contributed businesses valued at €1.42 billion.[95][78]
Regulation
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2025/40, entered into force on 11 February 2025 and began applying on 12 August 2026. It sets requirements covering packaging design, recyclability, waste prevention and restrictions on hazardous substances, including PFAS in food-contact packaging.[96][97]
Latest news
Cepi’s latest 2025 statistics show European paper and board production down 1.6% to 77.4 million tonnes. Early 2026 data indicated further weakening, with first-quarter output down 2.4% year on year; packaging grades were comparatively resilient, while graphic paper remained under pressure.[60]
report visual · Comparison

Paper and paperboard production

China leads with 115,524 thousand tonnes.

China115,524 thousand tonnes
United States69,131 thousand tonnes
Japan23,953 thousand tonnes
India16,319 thousand tonnes
Indonesia12,647 thousand tonnes
South Korea11,595 thousand tonnes
source-verifiedunece.org

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Papermaking Industry

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

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Smurfit Westrock leads Gitnux's 2026 papermaking ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with 57 mills and more than 500 facilities across 40 countries. International Paper is the runner-up at 9.1, with revenue growth of 49.2% and packaging-plus-pulp footprint after 2025 DS Smith tie-up.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in paper and board production

    Smurfit Westrock

    IE

    Ranked #1 · 9.5 · Paper and board production

    Why we picked it: Paper and corrugated packaging scale is supported by a 57-mill footprint and 40-country coverage.

    See in ranking ↓Visit smurfitwestrock.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    International Paper

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Paper and board production

    Why we picked it: Packaging, containerboard and pulp positioning is reinforced by the 2025 DS Smith integration.

    See in ranking ↓Visit internationalpaper.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Suzano

    BR

    Ranked #3 · 9.1 · Paper and board production

    Why we picked it: Pulp and paper volumes are reflected in 14.2 million tonnes sold in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit suzano.com.br ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

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

Smurfit Westrock

Paper and board production · IE

9.5
2

International Paper

Paper and board production · US

9.1
3

Suzano

Paper and board production · BR

9.1
4

Nine Dragons Paper

Paper and board production · CN

8.8
5

Mondi

Paper and board production · GB

8.5
6

UPM-Kymmene

Communication papers, pulp and renewable materials · FI

8.2
7

Holmen

Premium paperboard, paper and containerboard · SE

7.8
8

Sappi

Graphic, specialty and packaging papers · ZA

7.7
9

Billerud

Graphic, kraft, label and packaging papers · SE

7.5
10

Sylvamo

Uncoated printing and communication papers · US

7.2

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 10, 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 10). Top 10 companies in the papermaking industry. In Papermaking Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/papermaking-industry-statistics/#top-companies

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology work concentrates on automation maturity and AI use cases; for energy, drying processes account for 25% of a paper machine’s total consumption.

AI in the papermaking industry

  • 6 AI-related patents were granted in paper-making technologies in the record year identified by VTT, 2024.[1]
  • 15 paper-making AI patents are held by Siemens AG, the largest portfolio identified in VTT’s analysis, although most were inactive.[1]
  • 25% of a paper machine’s total energy consumption is used by drying processes, which the 2025 review identifies as an underused opportunity for AI optimization.[2]
  • 15% energy savings can be achieved in mechanical refining through AI-based predictive performance, according to a 2025 review of pulp and paper applications.[2]
  • Around 3 AI-related patents per year have typically been granted in paper-making technologies, according to a VTT patent analysis.[1]
  • 1 specialty-paper control application used AI to predict wet tensile strength in a papermaking process, according to a 2025 TAPPI Journal study.[3]

Automation in the papermaking industry

  • 36.9% of surveyed pulp and paper sites used basic automation controls requiring human interaction in daily operations.[4]
  • 18% of pulp and paper sites belonged to the highest-maturity process-and-operations cluster in the mill-autonomy study.[4]
  • 36.9% of surveyed pulp and paper sites operated autonomously during normal operation but required people for special situations.[4]
  • 73.8% of pulp and paper sites had only basic automation, with human operators needed during normal operation or special situations, in a mill-autonomy study.[4]
  • 40 global pulp and paper manufacturers were interviewed in a Baker Hughes study on automation, DCS and safety-system transformation.[5]
  • 18% of pulp and paper sites belonged to the lowest-maturity process-and-operations cluster in the mill-autonomy study.[4]

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

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 57% identified moving to SAP S/4HANA as a top focus area in 2025.[6]
  • Across European chemical subindustries, 65% of companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity that would significantly impact their activities in 2024.[7]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 46% ranked automation among their leading technology focus areas in 2025.[6]
  • Among EII businesses, 68% reported adopting AI in 2024, with an estimated 10% productivity increase.[7]

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

  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for quality inspection or defect detection in 2025.[8]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 53% had implemented AI for real-time process control and optimization in 2025.[8]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for production planning and scheduling in 2025.[8]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 45% had implemented AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.[8]

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

  • Among EII businesses, 2% reported decreased productivity from cloud computing in 2024.[7]
  • Among EII businesses, 52% reported increased productivity from cloud computing in 2024, while 46% reported no change.[7]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, 15% planned to migrate to cloud computing in coming years in 2023.[9]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, more than 35% had at least partially migrated to cloud computing in 2023.[9]

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

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

Blockchain in the papermaking industry

  • 4.4 million tonnes of Brazilian pulp are exported to the European Union annually, creating the supply-chain scope for blockchain investments linked to EUDR compliance.[10]
  • 1 permissioned, Ethereum-compatible blockchain architecture was designed for pulp-and-paper wood traceability in the VeriWood study.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data governance and measured operational data show up in adoption metrics; 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026.

Business intelligence in the papermaking industry

  • 95% of surveyed paper-industry companies had initiated digital-transformation projects in 2024, according to a ZELLCHEMING survey.[12]
  • 70 company studies were reviewed by the Industrie 4.0 Maturity Center for the comparison cited in the 2025 paper-industry study.[12]
  • 4 of 24 survey respondents rated the paper industry at Industrie 4.0 maturity level 4 or higher in 2024.[12]
  • 10 of 24 interviewees reported having a process for improving data quality in the 2024 survey.[12]
  • 16 of 24 surveyed representatives worked for companies with fewer than 2,500 employees in 2024.[12]
  • 4 of 24 interviewees said their company partly had a data-quality improvement process in 2024.[12]

Data analytics in the papermaking industry

  • 1 Rengo paper mill in Japan combined IoT data with business intelligence to digitalise its recovered-paper yard.[13]
  • 5 example process indicators were listed for real-time modelling: stock-preparation rate, refiner freeness, press Uhle-box flow, fresh-water flow and production rate.[14]
  • PM No. 1 at the Covington mill experienced indentation issues at nearly 10 times historical levels from fall 2013.[14]
  • 1 operator-assistance approach for paper production used machine learning concepts including classification, forecasting and alarm-flood handling.[15]
  • 1 paper mill in India modelled process parameters in real time to predict paper-strength indicators using multivariate analysis.[14]
  • 2 structurally different datasets—sensor data and recovered-paper inventory data—were integrated at Rengo’s Kanazu Mill.[13]

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.[16]
  • 42% of manufacturers had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026, while 51% did not.[17]
  • 89% of manufacturers said data use improved their decision-making processes in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[17]
  • 49% of supply-management organizations rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024, based on an Institute for Supply Management survey.[16]
  • 44% of companies in the manufacturing survey reported AI-project failures caused by poor data quality in 2025, across surveyed manufacturers.[18]
  • 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[17]

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.[19]
  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[16]
  • 28% of manufacturers had a data-governance leader in 2026, across the Manufacturing Leadership Council survey.[17]
  • 52% of global chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[19]
  • 46% of GCC chemical companies had established common data standards with collaboration partners in 2022.[19]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[16]

KPIs in the papermaking industry

  • 95% target uptime is specified for uncoated woodfree paper machines in TAPPI energy-performance guidance.[20]
  • 94% target overall machine efficiency is specified for market-pulp machines.[20]
  • 95% target overall machine efficiency is specified for dry-creped tissue machines.[20]
  • 92% target overall machine efficiency is specified for linerboard machines.[20]
  • 2,000 gallons per ton is the target water-use KPI for uncoated woodfree paper machines.[20]
  • 85% is the target condensate-return KPI listed for uncoated woodfree, linerboard, market-pulp and several other machine grades.[20]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Capacity moves remain a theme through investments and joint ventures; five major capacity-expansion projects were started by Mondi in 2024.

Growth in the papermaking industry

  • 2.3 million tonnes was Mondi’s 2024 containerboard production input in its integrated value chain.[21]
  • 5 major capacity-expansion projects were started by Mondi in 2024, including a new paper machine at Štětí in the Czech Republic.[22]
  • 14,241 thousand tons was Smurfit Westrock’s listed North American mills’ annual production capacity in 2024.[23]
  • 25% of Sofidel’s production-capacity increase came from its 2024 acquisition of Clearwater Paper’s tissue division, adding 340,000 metric tons per year in the United States.[24]
  • 300,000 tonnes per year was the capacity reached by Huatai Paper’s rebuilt BCTMP line in Dongying, China, up from 100,000 tonnes.[25]
  • 5.6 billion paper bags were among Mondi’s 2024 product outputs, reflecting growth in renewable packaging formats.[21]

Differentiation in the papermaking industry

  • 0.9 million tonnes was Mondi’s 2024 uncoated-fine-paper output in its integrated value chain.[21]
  • 1.4 million tonnes is the approximate annual pulp capacity of Clearwater Paper’s paperboard-mill network.[26]
  • 1.9 billion square metres was Mondi’s 2024 consumer-flexibles output across its differentiated packaging portfolio.[21]
  • 17.1% was UPM Specialty Papers’ comparable return on capital employed in 2024.[27]
  • 3.7 million tonnes was Mondi’s 2024 pulp input across its integrated packaging and paper value chain.[21]
  • 1.4 million tonnes of SBS capacity is available across Clearwater Paper’s three paperboard mills in North America.[26]

Mergers and acquisitions in the papermaking industry

  • $700 million was the announced value of Clearwater Paper’s 2024 acquisition of Graphic Packaging’s Augusta, Georgia, paperboard facility.[28]
  • 1,700 employees joined Sofidel through its 2024 acquisition of four Clearwater Paper tissue plants.[24]
  • $1.06 billion was the value of Sofidel’s 2024 acquisition of Clearwater Paper’s tissue division in the United States.[24]
  • 4 manufacturing plants were acquired by Sofidel in its 2024 Clearwater Paper tissue transaction.[24]
  • 340,000 metric tons per year was the production capacity added by Sofidel’s acquisition of Clearwater Paper’s tissue division.[24]
  • 78 paper-packaging M&A deals were recorded in 2024, three fewer than in 2023, according to PMCF’s industry review.[29]

Strategic partnerships in the papermaking industry

  • 180 megawatts of surplus electricity is generated by Suzano’s new Brazilian pulp mill supported by ANDRITZ.[25]
  • 87 days was the time Suzano’s new Brazilian mill took to reach designed daily production capacity after starting up in July 2024.[25]
  • 29 years spans ANDRITZ’s cooperation with China Paper Investment, which began with the group’s first mechanical-pulp line in 1995.[25]
  • $14 million was the saving achieved over 7.5 years by a North American packaging company under a Valmet corporate service agreement covering its U.S. mills.[30]
  • 1,850 air-dried tonnes per day was the capacity of Sun Paper Beihai’s BCTMP line supplied by Valmet.[30]
  • 800,000 tonnes of pulp and 1.2 million tonnes of paper and board are produced annually by APP subsidiary IKPP’s Perawang mill under its long-term Valmet relationship.[30]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce signals track operating change alongside turnover and gender metrics; Mondi’s employee turnover rate in Asia and Australia was 40.6% in 2024.

Hiring in the papermaking industry

  • 21.76% was Domtar’s women hiring rate in 2023.[31]
  • 4,158 new employees were hired by Mondi globally in 2024.[22]
  • 2,043 new employees were hired in Mondi’s emerging European operations in 2024.[22]
  • 1,165 employees were hired by Domtar in 2023.[31]
  • 625 new employees were hired in Mondi’s North American operations in 2024.[22]

Employee retention in the papermaking industry

  • 40.6% was Mondi’s employee turnover rate in Asia and Australia in 2024.[22]
  • 23% was Domtar’s employee turnover rate in 2023.[31]
  • 18.8% was Mondi’s employee turnover rate in South America in 2024.[22]
  • 11.3% was Domtar’s involuntary employee turnover rate in 2023.[31]
  • 26.1% was Mondi’s employee turnover rate in emerging Europe in 2024.[22]

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

  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[32]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 25% preferred mostly remote work in 2025.[33]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 8% preferred fully remote work in 2025.[33]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 25% worked exclusively remotely in August 2026.[34]

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.[34]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[32]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[34]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred a hybrid work arrangement in November 2025.[34]
  • U.S. hybrid employees spent an average of 46% of their workweek on-site in 2026.[34]

Upskilling in the papermaking industry

  • 8.8 out of 10 was Stora Enso’s Ethics and Compliance Index in 2024.[35]
  • 1,023 Mondi non-production employees were under 30 years old in 2024.[22]
  • 65 instructor-led training sessions were delivered by International Paper in 2024.[36]
  • 2,536 hours of targeted sustainability training were delivered by Mondi’s Sustainable Development Academy and business units in 2025.[22]
  • 100% of Stora Enso employees were required to complete Code training in 2024.[35]

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

  • Across employees in the United States and Canada, 31% were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
  • Among global managers, 22% were engaged at work in 2025, compared with 19% of non-managers.[34]
  • Across employees in the United States, 32% were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
  • Across employees worldwide, 20% were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
  • Across best-practice organizations recognized by Gallup, 70% of employees were engaged in 2025.[34]

DEI in the papermaking industry

  • 35.2% of Mondi’s employees in Asia and Australia were women in 2024.[22]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Sales and service indicators highlight customer feedback in paper and tissue markets; Navigator reported 95% customer satisfaction for printing and writing paper customers globally in 2023.

Customer experience in the papermaking industry

  • 67% was The Navigator Company’s 2023 customer satisfaction index for tissue customers globally.[37]
  • 86.9 points was Cheng Loong’s 2023 customer satisfaction score in Taiwan, up 0.3 points from 2022.[38]
  • 0.34 complaints per 10,000 tonnes or million square metres was Cheng Loong’s 2023 industrial-paper complaint rate in Taiwan.[38]
  • 95% was The Navigator Company’s 2023 customer satisfaction index for printing and writing paper customers globally.[37]
  • 86.5 points was Cheng Loong’s 2021 customer satisfaction score in Taiwan.[38]

Customer retention in the papermaking industry

  • 90% of Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing’s 2023 revenue came from external customers in mainland China.[27]
  • 7.74% of IT Tech Packaging’s 2024 total revenue came from its largest Hebei packaging-company customer.[26]
  • 89% of Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing’s 2024 revenue came from external customers in mainland China.[27]
  • 0.75 was Cheng Loong’s average customer complaint rate in Taiwan in 2023.[38]
  • 0.58 was Cheng Loong’s average customer complaint rate in Taiwan in 2021.[38]

Customer loyalty in the papermaking industry

  • 700 employees supported Nordic Paper’s specialty-paper business in 2024.[39]
  • 9% was the combined positive effect of sales volume and product mix on Nordic Paper’s 2024 sales compared with 2023.[40]
  • 40 countries were covered by Smurfit Westrock’s global operations in 2024.[41]
  • 66% of Nordic Paper’s 2024 net sales came from Europe.[40]
  • 9% of Nordic Paper’s 2024 net sales came from Asia-Pacific.[40]

Lead generation in the papermaking industry

  • 210,000 tons of paper-consumption losses were estimated to be mitigated by the campaign in 2016.[42]
  • 500,000 tons of additional paper consumption were estimated from the campaign in 2016.[42]
  • 95% of Packaging Corporation of America’s technical-paper sales volume was sold directly to customers and converters in 2004.[26]
  • 290,000 tons of packaging consumption were estimated to be created by the campaign in 2016.[42]
  • 95% of Packaging Corporation of America’s technical-products sales volume was sold directly to customers and converters in 2012.[26]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Packaging choice appears in consumer survey figures; 68% of U.S. consumers said they would choose paper or cardboard packaging over an otherwise identical plastic package.

Marketing in the papermaking industry

  • 71% of U.S. consumers said paper or cardboard packaging makes them more likely to buy a brand, including 72% of consumers aged 18–34.[43]
  • 42% of U.S. adults said they personally preferred products packaged in paper or cardboard, versus 13% preferring plastic.[44]
  • 250 million media impressions were generated for Paper Source during the first six months of a national brand-awareness campaign.[45]
  • 71% of U.S. consumers said they were more likely to buy brands using paper or cardboard packaging.[44]
  • 68% of U.S. consumers said they would choose paper or cardboard packaging over an otherwise identical plastic package.[44]

Digital marketing in the papermaking industry

  • 84% was the increase in Google search ads for Hammermill in 2021 after its social-led campaign.[46]
  • 64,000 impressions, 50,000 people reached and a 14% engagement rate were generated by Papier’s wellness influencer campaign.[47]
  • 19.9 million impressions were generated by Nissin’s 2024 Paper Cup Confessions campaign on TikTok.[48]
  • 74.3% was the increase in average time on site for Hammermill in 2021 after its social-led campaign.[46]
  • $17.61 was the cost per thousand impressions for Nissin’s 2024 Paper Cup Confessions TikTok campaign.[48]

Branding in the papermaking industry

  • 88.2% of German consumers wanted to continue receiving important documents in paper form in 2025.[49]
  • 75% of Brandenburg residents preferred paper packaging when shopping online in 2025.[49]
  • 87% of respondents across five European markets believed paper and board are actually recycled in 2026.[50]
  • 79% of Brandenburg residents preferred paper packaging in physical stores in 2025.[49]
  • 57.5% of German consumers wanted online orders shipped in paper or cardboard packaging in 2025.[49]

Social media in the papermaking industry

  • 4,700 comments were posted on Hammermill’s TikTok interaction with influencer Beard Al.[46]
  • 10.5% was Hammermill’s Instagram follower increase from February through July 2023 during its video series.[46]
  • 1.5 million likes were generated by Hammermill’s TikTok interaction with influencer Beard Al.[46]
  • 3.1% was the engagement rate for Hammermill’s four Instagram campaign videos in 2023.[46]
  • 500,000-plus views were generated by Paperchase’s Christmas social video in four weeks.[51]

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.[52]
  • In U.S. manufacturing, 19% of marketers used influencer marketing among paid channels in the prior 12 months, according to a 2025 industry benchmark.[53]
  • Across B2B companies, 29% of marketers planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in a March 2025 Ipsos survey.[52]
  • Across B2B companies, 43% of marketers reported outstanding results from influencer programs in the 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[54]
  • 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.[55]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational performance and cost drivers remain quantified; drying and fuel distribution dominate, while paper-machine uptime is reported in the 80–99% range.

Process optimization in the papermaking industry

  • 80% of fuel use in pulp and paper mills can be attributable to steam generation and distribution using boilers.[56]
  • 1.5–6.6 MWh per tonne was the reported European range for paper-product unit energy consumption in an industry energy-efficiency guideline.[57]
  • 8.71% lower drying costs were calculated for a tissue-paper mill using an energy-system optimization model.[2]
  • 5–10% higher throughput is being achieved by successful digital innovators in pulp and paper, globally, according to McKinsey’s industry analysis.[58]
  • Up to 5 percentage points of yield improvement has been achieved by successful digital innovators in the global pulp and paper industry.[58]

Operational efficiency in the papermaking industry

  • 65.5% of fuel consumption came from biomass in Cepi member countries in 2023.[59]
  • 50% was the reduction in European pulp and paper industry CO2 emissions from 2005 to 2024.[60]
  • 87.5% was the U.S. paper and paperboard operating rate in 2024, nearly four percentage points above 2023.[61]
  • 80–99% was the reported range of paper-machine uptime, with the highest value associated with a market-pulp machine.[62]
  • 0.24 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of product was the 2024 specific-emissions level for the European pulp and paper industry.[59]

Quality management in the papermaking industry

  • 11.15 corrugated-container complaints per million square metres were reported for Cheng Loong’s Vietnam operations in 2025.[27]
  • 74% of Procter & Gamble’s purchased fiber was FSC Chain-of-Custody certified in fiscal 2023.[63]
  • 93% of Smurfit Westrock’s paper was produced as chain-of-custody certified paper in 2024.[64]
  • 2% of Procter & Gamble’s purchased fiber was PEFC Chain-of-Custody certified in fiscal 2024.[63]
  • 0.19 industrial-paper complaints per 10,000 tonnes were reported for Cheng Loong’s Vietnam operations in 2025.[27]

Supply chain in the papermaking industry

  • 52.1 million tonnes of paper for recycling were collected in Cepi countries in 2024.[60]
  • 44.4% of fiber used by U.S. paper mills came from recycled paper in 2024, representing 32.7 million tons of total fiber use.[65]
  • 6.4 million tonnes of market pulp were exported from the Cepi region in 2024.[60]
  • $204 per ton was the average unit price of U.S. wastepaper exports in 2024.[65]
  • 10.7% of wood consumed by Cepi members was imported in 2024.[59]

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

  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents were actively pushing onshoring projects in 2025.[66]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 72.8% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023.[67]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 34.1% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing cited labour-cost reduction as a motivation during 2021–2023.[67]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 100% of customer respondents allocated only 0–25% of company capital expenditure to reshoring projects in 2025.[66]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 43% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers and achieved some success in 2025.[66]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing is tracked through producer indices and grade-specific changes; the U.S. corrugated paperboard index reached 354.173 in March 2026 (1982=100).

Pricing strategy in the papermaking industry

  • $60 per ton was the North American corrugating-medium index-price increase reported for February 2025.[26]
  • $60 per ton was Clearwater Paper’s announced price increase for folding-carton and cup grades in 2026.[68]
  • $15 million was the estimated run-rate EBITDA improvement from a paper-and-packaging company’s pricing diagnostic and commercial-excellence program.[69]
  • $5 million of the $15 million run-rate EBITDA improvement was achieved through quick pricing wins within six months.[69]
  • 8.3% was Nine Dragons Paper’s reported increase in sales volume for the six months ended December 2025.[70]

Cost reduction in the papermaking industry

  • 8% to nearly 20% was the range of mill-level cost savings achieved by a global pulp-and-paper company using cross-functional interventions.[58]
  • $60.6 billion was Nippon Paper Industries’ planned fiscal-2025 capital expenditure, including construction in progress.[71]
  • 11.4% was the reported decrease in North American containerboard export shipments in 2025 compared with 2024.[26]
  • 205 thousand short tons was the decrease in Clearwater Paper’s manufactured-paper shipments in 2025 compared with 2024.[26]
  • 4.5% was the reported decrease in North American containerboard production in 2025 compared with 2024.[26]

Profitability in the papermaking industry

  • R$2.845 billion was Suzano’s adjusted EBITDA from paper in 2025.[72]
  • 20% was the year-on-year decline in Suzano’s paper adjusted EBITDA per tonne in 2025.[72]
  • 23% was Suzano’s adjusted EBITDA margin for its paper segment in 2025.[72]
  • $615.4 million was Clearwater Paper’s 2025 paper sales.[26]
  • $1 million was Clearwater Paper’s 2025 operating loss in its Paper and Packaging segment.[26]

Financial planning in the papermaking industry

  • 1.1 times was Clearwater Paper’s net-leverage ratio at the end of 2024 after the tissue divestiture.[26]
  • 100 additional workers was the planned employment increase associated with Irving Tissue’s Georgia expansion.[73]
  • $2 million was the potential Georgia state income-tax-credit value associated with Irving Tissue’s expansion and hiring plan.[73]
  • $600 million was the announced investment for Irving Tissue’s factory expansion in Georgia.[73]
  • ¥60.6 billion was Nippon Paper Industries’ fiscal-2025 capital-expenditure plan, including construction in progress.[71]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product shift is supported by content and lifecycle metrics; Clearwater used 30% post-consumer recycled fiber in its ReMagine folding-carton board.

Product development in the papermaking industry

  • 3 all-paper creative products were developed by Cheng Loong Corporation in 2024, including an eco desk calendar, dollhouse and miniature paper library.[27]
  • 30% post-consumer recycled fiber is used in Clearwater Paper’s highest-recycled-content ReMagine paperboard products for folding-carton applications.[27]
  • 50% of International Paper’s commercial new products were aligned with renewable solutions in 2024.[27]
  • €78 million was Stora Enso’s total innovation, research and development expenditure in 2024, supporting wood-based renewable product development globally.[35]
  • 90% of International Paper’s innovation-pipeline projects were aligned with renewable solutions in 2024.[27]

Product lifecycle in the papermaking industry

  • 87% of Mondi’s revenue came from products that were reusable, recyclable or compostable in 2024.[22]
  • 95.1% was Cheng Loong’s recovered-paper utilization rate across all paper types in Taiwan in 2024.[27]
  • 85% of Mondi’s revenue came from reusable, recyclable or compostable products in 2023.[22]
  • 3.12 short tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent per short ton of finished product was the estimated U.S. pulp and paper industry lifecycle emissions intensity in 2026.[74]
  • $289.79 per short ton of finished product was the estimated U.S. pulp and paper industry lifecycle energy cost in 2026.[74]

After-sales in the papermaking industry

  • 25 days was CMPC Maderas’ average time to resolve a customer complaint in 2024.[75]
  • 91% of CMPC pulp customers rated customer-service quality positively in 2024.[75]
  • 92% of CMPC Maderas customers reported customer loyalty in 2024.[75]
  • 90% of CMPC pulp customers reported customer loyalty in 2024.[75]
  • 26% was CMPC’s pulp customer complaint rate in 2024.[75]

Value proposition in the papermaking industry

  • 79.3% of Spanish consumers expressed satisfaction with paper-based products in the 2020 paper public-opinion survey.[76]
  • 20% of primary packaging used by surveyed CPG professionals was paperboard in 2024.[77]
  • 10% of primary packaging used by surveyed CPG professionals was molded pulp in 2024.[77]
  • 8.5 out of 10 was the average score Spanish consumers gave paper products for recyclability in the 2020 survey.[76]
  • 43% of primary packaging used by surveyed CPG professionals was paper-based in 2024, including paperboard, flexible paper and molded pulp.[77]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability metrics stay anchored in emissions and sourcing; Europe’s pulp and paper industry emitted 0.24 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of paper and board produced in 2024.

Sustainability in the papermaking industry

  • 50% lower CO₂ emissions were recorded by Europe’s pulp and paper industry in 2024 compared with 2005 levels.[60]
  • 0.24 tonnes of CO₂ were emitted per tonne of paper and board produced in Europe in 2024.[60]
  • 200 hectares of nature-oriented areas were owned or managed by UPM Specialty Papers’ mills in 2024.[78]
  • 88% of fibres used in UPM Specialty Papers’ production originated from FSC- or PEFC-certified forests in 2024.[78]
  • 300,000 cubic metres of fresh water were saved at UPM’s Changshu paper mill in China in 2024.[78]

ESG in the papermaking industry

  • 82% of YFY’s Taiwan Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in 2025 came from Scope 1 sources.[79]
  • 39% of Procter & Gamble’s wood pulp was sourced from Latin America in 2025.[63]
  • 6% of Procter & Gamble’s wood pulp was sourced from Europe in 2025.[63]
  • 1.336 million tonnes of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions were reported by YFY in Taiwan in 2025.[79]
  • 1.41 million air-dried metric tonnes of wood pulp were purchased by Procter & Gamble in 2025.[63]

Circular economy in the papermaking industry

  • 11.3% of Europe’s collected recovered paper was exported outside the region in 2024.[80]
  • 79.3% was Europe’s paper and board recycling rate in 2023.[81]
  • 1.3 million tonnes of paper for recycling were purchased by Mondi in 2024.[22]
  • 71.1 million tonnes of paper and board were consumed in Europe in 2024.[81]
  • 75.1% of paper and board consumed in Europe was recycled in 2024.[81]

Carbon footprint in the papermaking industry

  • 950 kilograms of CO₂-equivalent emissions are generated on average per tonne of paper, based on a review of 45 papermaking cases.[2]
  • 34,000 gigawatt-hours of renewable fuels were used by UPM in 2024.[78]
  • 93% of UPM’s renewable fuels in 2024 came from its own processes, including bark, fibre sludge and black liquor.[78]
  • 1.86 million tonnes of CO₂e were emitted to air by Mondi’s operations in 2024.[22]
  • 490 kilograms of Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO₂ per tonne of paper was UPM Communication Papers’ European average in 2023.[78]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade and cross-border flows remain measurable; Cepi-area exports declined 19% in 2024 compared with 2020.

Globalization in the papermaking industry

  • 2nd was the United States’ position among importers of European Union paper and board products in 2024.[60]
  • 19% was the decline in Cepi-area paper and board exports in 2024 compared with 2020.[60]
  • 4.1% of paper for recycling used in the Cepi region was imported from outside the region in 2024.[59]
  • 15.1% of paper collected for recycling in the Cepi region was exported outside the region in 2024.[59]
  • $18.619 billion was International Paper’s 2024 net sales, including sales to the United States, EMEA, Asia-Pacific and other Americas.[36]

Cultural adaptation in the papermaking industry

  • 46.5% of Japan Pulp & Paper Group employees worked outside Japan in 2020.[88]
  • 25,000 Pataxó and Tupinambá Indigenous people lived near Stora Enso’s Veracel joint venture in Brazil in 2024.[35]
  • 48.3% of Japan Pulp & Paper Group employees worked outside Japan in 2022.[88]
  • 47.2% of Japan Pulp & Paper Group employees worked outside Japan in 2021.[88]
  • 462 Japan Pulp & Paper Group employees were based in Oceania in 2022.[88]

Supplier management in the papermaking industry

  • 66% of Sofidel’s Belgian procurement spending was with local suppliers in 2024.[24]
  • 37% of Sofidel’s Romanian procurement spending was with local suppliers in 2024.[24]
  • Approximately 6,000 suppliers across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa worked with delfort in 2024.[89]
  • 74% of Sofidel’s Italian procurement spending was with local suppliers in 2024.[24]
  • 80.5% of Sofidel’s reference expenditure was generated through suppliers with a valid TenP Paper evaluation in 2024.[24]

Stakeholder management in the papermaking industry

  • €1.7 million was provided by UPM through its Share and Care local-support and charitable-donation programme in 2024.[78]
  • Approximately 350 enquiries or concerns were received from the general public by UPM in 2024.[78]
  • 1 dedicated local-community-engagement team operated in Uruguay for UPM’s 2024 stakeholder processes.[78]
  • 1.7 million euros was UPM’s reported 2024 contribution to local learning, education, disaster relief and conflict-response initiatives.[78]
  • 1 external human-rights assessment covered UPM’s plantations, nurseries, pulp mills, logistics and biofuels in Uruguay in 2024.[78]

Distribution channels in the papermaking industry

  • 89% of Ranpak’s net revenue came from distributor sales in 2023.[90]
  • 27 paper machines operated across 13 countries supported Sonoco’s uncoated recycled-paperboard business in 2024.[26]
  • 1.0% of Japan Pulp & Paper Group revenue came from other areas in fiscal 2024.[88]
  • Approximately 300 distributors worldwide handled the vast majority of Ranpak’s paper-packaging-material sales in 2023.[90]
  • 54.4% of KPP Group employees were in its Europe/Americas segment in 2025, supporting its regional operating structure.[91]

Key questions about the papermaking industry

What is the current market size for papermaking paper products?
The global paper-products market was valued at $270.2 billion in 2024.
How fast is the market expected to grow from 2025 to 2030?
The global paper-products market is forecast to reach $274.7 billion by 2030, implying a 0.7% CAGR from 2025 to 2030.
Which companies lead the papermaking industry?
Smurfit Westrock leads Gitnux's 2026 papermaking ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with 57 mills and more than 500 facilities across 40 countries. International Paper is the runner-up at 9.1, with revenue growth of 49.2% and packaging-plus-pulp footprint after 2025 DS Smith tie-up.
Where is technology change most visible in papermaking?
AI and automation show up in energy optimization and mill autonomy measurements; drying uses 25% of a paper machine’s total energy consumption, flagged as an underused opportunity for AI optimization.
How concentrated is production in Europe?
Germany, Sweden and Italy together accounted for 44.7% of Cepi-member paper and board production in 2024.
What regulatory change matters most for papermaking and packaging in 2026?
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2025/40, began applying on 12 August 2026 and includes PFAS restrictions in food-contact packaging.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Papermaking Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/papermaking-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Papermaking Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/papermaking-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Papermaking Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/papermaking-industry-statistics.

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