Key Features:
- In 2023, pressure-sensitive labels hold the greatest market share by volume, accounting for nearly 45% of the market.
- Alcoholic drinks are the largest end use for labels, by volume, and hold nearly 30% of market share in 2023.
- Flexographic printing is the largest process for label printing in 2023, accounting for nearly 40% of the market by volume.
This report provides comprehensive analysis and data modelling of the global label and release marketplace and of important technological developments in labels and release liners. It provides authoritative historical data for the period 2018-23, with expert projections and forecasts to 2028. Market forecasts are presented by label and release liner type, geographic market, print process and end-use sector. In addition, the report includes an assessment of the current market and future prospects for label release liners, providing the definitive guide for business planning.
Our exclusive content
- Development and adoption of liner-less release label stock constructions will continue and modestly accelerate over the forecast period, as both consumers and regional regulatory bodies (in the EU zone in particular) increasingly demand more sustainable packaging options
- Resumption of trends toward the adoption of more functional labels - interactive and 'smart' labels, for instance - and toward refinement and adoption of integrated digital printing systems for labels.
What will you discover?
- This report focuses upon label printing consumables, the paper, film and ink applied to primary, secondary and tertiary packaging articles, and the emerging electronics and systems to enhance and extend their functionality
- Historical data, suitably segmented, for global labels and release liner markets, along with estimates of current market size and growth forecasts through 2028
- Key market drivers, consumer trends and important technical developments to 2028.
The Smithers methodology
This report is based on extensive primary and secondary research. Primary research consisted of targeted interviews with material suppliers, converters and experts drawn from key markets. This was supported by secondary research in the form of extensive literature analysis of published data, official government statistics, domestic and international trade organisation data, company websites, industry reports, trade press articles, presentations, and attendance at trade events.
Who should buy the report?
- Manufacturers of label printing equipment
- Suppliers of inks and coatings
- Suppliers of label stocks
- Industry consultants, investors, and analysts
About the author
Ilkka Ylipoti is a consultant with extensive experience in the pressure sensitive labelstock and label printing industry. He worked for over 30 years for UPM Raflatac in global management positions and eight years as CEO of Auraprint Oy, Finland's largest label printer. Ylipoti strives to improve the operating environment of the label industry and served as a board member for FINAT.
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Introduction & methodology
- Introduction
- Objectives
- Scope and definitions
- Label types
- Print processes
- Release liner types
- End-use sector
- Geographic markets
- Data
- Methodology
- Important terms and definitions
- List of abbreviations
- Exchange rates
Market drivers and trends overview
- Introduction
- Market drivers
- Economic influences
- Demographic and social influences
- Marketplace/technology influences
- Consumer demands and regulatory requirements for sustainable packaging
- Demographic and economic trends will drive demand for 'convenience' packaging in both mature and developing economies
- Flexible packing will continue to displace rigid packaging, for a variety of economic, convenience and aesthetic reasons
- Regulatory requirements and consumer interests will continue to favour adoption of smart packaging solutions
Cutting-edge technology developments
- Introduction
- Smart labels
- New label product developments
- Product for enhanced sustainability
- Product for enhanced safety
- Products for enhanced label functionality
- Bio-polyethylene film for labels
- Rigid to flexible packaging transition
- Direct to pack printing and imaging
- Printing machinery developments
Label and release liner market overview
- Introduction
- Labels
- Pressure-sensitive labels
- Shrink sleeve labels
- Stretch sleeve labels
- Wet glue labels
- Pre-gummed labels
- In-mould labels
- Release liners
- Glassine, calendered kraft
- Clay-coated kraft paper
- Polyolefin-coated paper
- Polymer-film based release liners
- Other paper-based release liners
Market by printing process
- Label markets
- Current label manufacturing methods
- Gravure
- Letterpress
- Flexography
- Offset lithographic
- Screen
- Digital
Application markets
- Overview
- Food products
- Market trends
- Label consumption for food products
- Release liner consumption for food products
- Beverages
- Soft drinks and other nonalcoholic beverages
- Market trends
- Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs)
- Bottled water
- Fruit juice
- Label consumption for soft drinks
- Release liner consumption for soft drinks
- Alcoholic drinks
- Market trends
- Label consumption for alcoholic drinks
- Release liner consumption for alcoholic drinks
- Healthcare
- Market trends for healthcare
- Label consumption for healthcare
- Release liner consumption for healthcare
- Cosmetics and personal care
- Market trends
- Label consumption for cosmetics
- Release liner consumption for cosmetics
- Household products and other consumer goods
- Market trends
- Label consumption for household products and other consumer goods
- Release liner consumption for other consumer goods
- Industrial/other applications and logistics applications
- Industrial and other applications
- Logistics applications
- Market trends
- Label consumption for industrial, logistics, and other applications
- Release liner consumption for industrial applications
Geographic markets
- Overview
- Western Europe
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Scandinavia
- Spain
- UK
- Central & Eastern Europe
- North America
- South & Central America
- Asia
- Other regions
Tables
- Labels and release liners - summary of key market drivers
- GDP growth trends by region/ country, 2018-28
- Population trends by region/ country, 2018-28 (million)
- Global labels consumption by type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Pressure-sensitive labels consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Shrink sleeve labels consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Stretch sleeve labels consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Wet glue labels consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Pre-gummed labels consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- In-mould labels consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Labelstock release liner consumption by label type and region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Glassine, calendered kraft release liner consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Clay-coated kraft paper release liner consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Polyolefin-coated paper release liner consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Polymer-film based release liners release liner consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Other paper-based release liners release liner consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Global label printing output by process type, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Global label printing output by process and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Gravure label printing by label type and region, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Letterpress label printing by label type and region, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Flexography label printing by label type and region, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Offset lithographic label printing by label type and region, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Screen label printing by label type and region, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Digital label printing by label type and region, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Global labels consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Global labels consumption by enduse and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Food products: labels consumption by region and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Beverages: labels consumption by region and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Alcoholic drinks: labels consumption by region and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Healthcare: labels consumption by region and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Cosmetics and personal care: labels consumption by region and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Household products and other consumer goods: labels consumption by region and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Industrial/other applications and logistics applications: labels consumption by region and label type, 2023 and 2028 (million m2)
- Label consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Release liner consumption by region, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Western Europe: label consumption by national market, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Western Europe: label consumption by label type, 2018- 28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Western Europe: release liner consumption by base substrate, 2018-28 (million m2)
- France: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- France: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- France: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Germany: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Germany: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Germany: label consumption by end-use sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Italy: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Italy: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Italy: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Scandinavia: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Scandinavia: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Scandinavia: label consumption by end-use sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Spain: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Spain: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Spain: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- UK: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- UK: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- UK: label consumption by end-use sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Central & Eastern Europe: label consumption by national market, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Central & Eastern Europe: label consumption by label type, 2018- 28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Central & Eastern Europe: release liner consumption by base substrate, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Poland: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Poland: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Poland: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Russia: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Russia: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Russia: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- North America: label consumption by national market, 2018-28 (million m2)
- North America: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- North America: release liner consumption by base substrate, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Canada: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Canada: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Canada: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Mexico: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Mexico: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Mexico: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- USA: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- USA: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- USA: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- South & Central America: label consumption by national market, 2018-28 (million m2)
- South & Central America: label consumption by label type, 2018- 28 (million m2 and $ million)
- South & Central America: release liner consumption by base substrate, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Brazil: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Brazil: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Brazil: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Asia: label consumption by national market, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Asia: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Asia: release liner consumption by base substrate, 2018-28 (million m2)
- China: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- China: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- China: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- India: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- India: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- India: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Japan: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Japan: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Japan: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Other regions: label consumption by national market, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Other regions: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Other regions: release liner consumption by base substrate, 2018-28 (million m2)
- Turkey: economic & demographic trends, 2018-28
- Turkey: label consumption by label type, 2018-28 (million m2 and $ million)
- Turkey: label consumption by enduse sector, 2018-28 (million m2)
Figures
- Global labels consumption by label type, 2023 (% area)
- Global labelstock release liner consumption by base type, 2023 (% area)
- Global label printing output by process type, 2023 (% area)
- Global labels consumption by end-use sector, 2023 (% area)
- Global labels consumption by region, 2023 (% area)