Ballistic Protective Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Raw Material (Aramid, Composites, UHMWPE, Steel), By Product, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global ballistic protective equipment market size was valued at USD 4,631.9 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% from 2023 to 2030. Increasing concerns about improving army survival are expected to benefit market growth. Additionally, rising defense spending as a result of expanding regional economies, as well as increased competition among governments to demonstrate their power, are expected to fuel market growth. Furthermore, it is expected that the market will continue to be driven by the increased demand for newer gadgets and devices as a result of continued technological innovation over the forecast period. Growing concerns about enhancing army survivability are predicted to have a favorable impact on market growth. Furthermore, rising defense spending as a result of expanding regional economies, as well as increased rivalry among governments to demonstrate their strength, are likely to fuel market expansion. Additionally, it is anticipated that over the forecast period, the market will continue to be driven by the growing need for newer gadgets and devices as a result of ongoing technological innovation.

North America remained a dominant consumer of armor wear globally with the U.S. being the frontrunner over the past decade. Active involvement of the U.S. military in the Middle Eastern conflicts coupled with threats of fatal attacks from various terrorist organizations over the past few years has fueled the North America ballistic wear market growth. Increasing pressure on the U.S. federal government to sustain itself as a military superpower is also projected to drive the regional industry.

The increasing need for innovative devices and gadgets on account of technological advancement is also anticipated to increase product demand over the forecast period. The high cost associated with protective equipment is projected to hamper the industry’s growth over the projected period.

The growing awareness of commercial security in the U.S. is driving the demand for body armor. Furthermore, as threats become more prevalent, worries about security in commercial areas such as retail security, healthcare security, and transportation security are growing rapidly. As a result, demand for this product is expected to rise over the forecast period.

The heavy material weight is affecting the personnel mobility adversely which is also expected to negatively impact the industry growth. Increasing usage of better raw materials to decrease ballistic product weight along with innovation of breathable armor wear is anticipated to create new opportunities for the industry participants for further investments. 

Raw Material Insights

The major raw materials include a powder mixture of ceramics & metallic compounds, fabrics, and other high-performance materials such as carbon polymers, steel, and titanium. Aramid fiber emerged as the leading raw material segment and accounted for 33.5% of the total revenue in 2022. The ability of the aramid fiber and relative blends to be easily molded for manufacturing ballistic helmets and body armor is the key factor responsible for high market penetration.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is anticipated to emerge as the fastest-growing material segment accounting for 28.1% of the total revenue in 2022. The finished products are majorly used across the defense industry for personnel protection and tactical armor wear, owing to their very high impact strength and excellent stab resistance. Excellent mechanical properties that tend to decrease time spent in material molding and cutting, thus enhancing faster manufacturing on short delivery time periods are the major factors expected to drive the segment growth over the forecast period.

The majority of the recent developments were focused on the use of composites consisting of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and another nanomaterial for providing lightweight with enhanced protection from high-velocity projectiles to the protective wear is anticipated to increase the composite material growth, especially from hard armor segment.

Product Insights

The soft armor segment led the market and accounted for 40.3% of the global market in 2022. Innovations in developing integrated undersuit systems, exoskeletons, and soft ballistic protection plates are anticipated to drive soft armor demand and provide better speed with improved flexibility suited for a broad range of missions.

Increasing head protection equipment demand by counter-terrorism units, terrestrial army, military sniper teams, and infantry combat is anticipated to drive the segment growth over the next nine years.

Hard armor is projected to account for the highest proportion of expenditure especially due to the rising demand for body armor and personal protection from Brazil over the next few years. Brazilian law enforcement and military sectors are moving towards upgrading their armor and ammunition inventory for tackling domestic crime and terrorism which is anticipated to increase the hard armor demand in the region over the forecast period. 

End-use Insights

The defense led the market and accounted for 59.7% of the global market in 2022 owing to the significant demand for ballistic helmets and hard body armor. A large number of counter-terrorism initiatives adopted by several countries over the past few years have contributed to the significant penetration of product demand in the defense sector.

Ballistic protective equipment demand in the law enforcement industry accounted for 33.1% of the global water in 2022, and is anticipated to emerge as the fastest-growing end-use segment, which can be attributed to the increasing adoption of efficient bulletproof equipment such as shields, body armor, and helmets to counter the civil unrest and riots.

Regional Insights

The ballistic protective equipment market in North America is the largest market accounting for 38.5% in 2022 and is expected to witness significant growth over the coming years on account of ongoing modernization strategies adopted by federal agencies in the defense and law enforcement sectors, which are expected to drive ballistic protective equipment demand over the forecast period. The engagement of the U.S. military in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria, is linked to the growing fear of terrorist strikes. The U.S. high defense expenditure is another important driver of the North American ballistic protective equipment industry.

The Asia Pacific region was the fastest-growing region with a CAGR of 5.3%. The threat of terrorist attacks, radical groups, and individuals espousing support for the ISIL and the terrorist from Iraq and Syria is anticipated to fuel the demand for ballistic protective equipment over the forecast period. 

Major nations in the Asia Pacific BPE market include China, Japan, India, and Australia. The Australian government has taken significant steps to combat terrorism, including increasing funding for intelligence agencies and improving their ability to access communications data, as well as increasing spending on personal protective equipment, which will drive the ballistic PPE market in Australia.

Ballistic Protective Equipment Market Share Insights

The prominent raw material vendors in the ballistic protective equipment industry include DuPont Company, Honeywell International, Inc., Toyobo Co., and Teijin Twaron. The ballistic protective equipment manufacturers procure the raw materials for commencing the production of bulletproof helmets, and soft, and hard armor. The major vendors operating in this industry include MKU, 3M Company, BAE Systems Plc, EnGarde, PSP, Inc., and Tencate. Some prominent players in the global ballistic protective equipment market include:

• Seyntex N.V.

• Honeywell International, Inc.

• Tencate; Rheinmetall AG

• Point Blank Enterprise, Inc.

• Morgan Advanced Materials

• ArmorSource LLC

• Craig International Ballistics

• Survitec Group Ltd

• Verseidag-Indutex GmbH

• Safe Life Defense

• Tactical Assault Gear (TAG)

• Hellweg International Pty. Ltd

• MKU Limited

• Mehler Vario System

• Mars Armor

• Paul Boyé Technologies

• Vista Outdoor, Inc.

• EnGarde

• Safariland, LLC

• CQC Ltd.

• Armor Wear

• BAE Systems, Plc

Ballistic Protective Equipment Market Report Scope

Global Ballistic Protective Equipment Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional & country levels, and provides an analysis on the latest trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global ballistic protective equipment market report based on raw material, product, end-use, and region:

• Raw Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Aramid

  • Composites

  • UHMWPE

  • Steel

  • Others

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Head Protection

  • Soft Armor

  • Hard Armor

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Defense

  • Law Enforcement & Security

  • Commercial

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • France

    • Germany

    • Italy

    • Russia

    • Spain

    • U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • South Korea

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE