Disposable Gloves Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (Natural Rubber, Nitrile, Neoprene, Polyethylene), By Product (Powdered, Powder Free), By End Use (Medical, Non-medical), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The global disposable gloves market size was estimated at USD 6.71 billion in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2% from 2020 to 2027. Growing product demand in medical and healthcare, pharmaceutical, automotive finishing, chemical, and oil and gas industries has been a major factor driving market growth.

The healthcare industry in major developing economies is also expected to witness significant growth owing to several factors, including growing investments in both public and private sectors coupled with a growing population, and rising geriatric population, among others. In addition, increasing healthcare expenditure is expected to boost the growth of the healthcare industry, which, in turn, is anticipated to spur the product demand.

The U.S. is one of the most severely affected countries in the world by coronavirus. The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to act as a major demand driver for disposable gloves in the country. The presence of a large base of geriatric population in the country, sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, and relatively higher disposable income levels of patients, are some vital drivers for the growth of the industry in the U.S.

Disposable gloves act as a shield providing protection to the healthcare workers against contagious infections. Medical gloves aid in protecting the physicians and healthcare workers from cross-contamination during medical examinations. During surgeries, surgeons, patients, and other professionals present during the surgery have a potential risk of infection along with the patients.

Occupational safety regulations play a major role in driving the disposable gloves market. Mandated policies by agencies for companies to maintain worker safety in industries is anticipated to drive the market demand over the forecast period. The rapid industrialization in developing economies, such as those in Southeast Asia, is expected to positively impact the demand in near future.

The manufacturers engage in designing, producing, and supplying the products to different end-use industries by utilizing innovative technologies. They either own their independent proprietary technology or license technology from other market participants. These companies manufacture gloves at one location at low manufacturing costs and distribute products across the globe to maintain minimal pricing.

Disposable gloves are distributed through direct and indirect channels such as distributors and retailers, along with e-commerce and social media advertising. The manufacturers of disposable gloves distribute products through independent distributors, exclusive distributors, and multi-brand retailers. However, few companies distribute the product directly to companies, hospitals, commercial institutions, and consumers to avoid additional costs.

Material Insights

Natural rubber was the dominant material segment and accounted for 37.9% of the overall revenue share in 2019 owing to a rise in the demand for natural rubber disposable gloves for various applications such as medical, surgical, and laboratory. The product made of natural rubber is used to prevent hand injuries and infections that are common across various industries, including medical and healthcare, food processing, oil and gas, and chemicals.

The demand for nitrile glove is expected to significantly increase owing to their increasing adoption in the medical, chemical, painting, dentistry, laboratory, and oil sectors. Enhanced resistance of nitrile glove toward puncture and chemicals as compared to that of vinyl and latex, is expected to augment the segment growth.

Vinyl is latex-free and is made from polyvinyl chloride and plasticizers. It offers higher comfort and tactile sensitivity as compared to neoprene. Vinyl is an ideal solution where frequent change of gloves is required, such as food preparation. The growing demand for antimicrobial and FDA-certified glove is anticipated to drive the growth of the vinyl material segment over the forecast period.

Neoprene (polychloroprene) is a synthetic rubber material that is produced by the polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene glove offers protection against several liquids and chemicals. Neoprene gloves are majorly used by food preparation staff, laboratory workers, and medical professionals among others. Neoprene glove offers a snug fit. These are incredibly resistant to stretching, allowing for a snug fit as compared to latex and nitrile glove.

Product Insights

Powder-free segment dominated the global market and accounted for 71.3% of the total demand in 2019. The segment is predominantly characterized by stringent regulations established by various government associations including food regulatory authorities of various countries such as the U.S., Germany, and the U.K.

Disposable gloves are very thin, which are generally produced from latex, nitrile, or vinyl. Occasionally, these are powdered. The powder is usually made from cornstarch, which helps in easy donning, improving grip, and reducing moisture and sweat inside of the glove. However, when worn for a long duration, the product may lead to sensitivities or allergies.

Non-powdered gloves undergo a process of chlorination which helps make them less form-fitting in order to avoid the use of powder for easy donning and removal. In this process, these are treated with a chlorine solution, then rinsed with water, and further dried to eliminate most of the powdered residue, dirt, and proteins. The process makes these gloves stronger compared to powdered variant.

Non-powdered gloves are anticipated to dominate the market over the forecast period owing to increasing preference for non-powdered gloves across numerous industries, including medical, chemical, and food processing, among others. Furthermore, stringent regulations on powdered gloves by many governments across the globe are anticipated to have a positive impact on the non-powdered gloves market over the forecast period.

End-use Insights

Medical end-use segment dominated the market by accounting for a revenue share of 69.5% in 2019 on account of their higher demand in hospital, veterinary, and dental applications. Disposable gloves are widely used across medical industry. They help protect doctors and patients from cross-contamination and transmission of pathogens during medical examination and surgeries.

Disposable gloves are often classified based on application as surgical and examination gloves. Examination gloves are used by doctors, nurses, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals for non-invasive physical examination applications. Rapid spread of the COVID-19 across the globe is anticipated to increase the demand for examination gloves used by frontline healthcare workers for testing and examination purposes.

The growing demand for disposable safety gloves for handling volatile chemicals in the laboratory, pharmaceutical, and cleanroom applications is expected to drive the product demand over the forecast period. Moreover, growing utilization of the product in end-use industries, including automotive, metal and machinery, oil and gas, academic, and industrial research and development, is projected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period.

The growth of manufacturing, pharmaceutical, chemical, and construction industries is expected to augment the product demand over the forecast period. Growing concerns about employee safety and initiatives for reducing injury rates in industrial and commercial sectors are expected to drive the demand for protective gloves over the forecast period.

Regional Insights

Europe was the largest regional segment, accounting for over 28.8% of the total market revenue in 2019 and is expected to witness moderate growth over the forecast period. An increasing number of occupational injuries coupled with growing requirements for highly effective protective gloves in majority of core industries such as food and beverage, oil and gas, automotive, and chemical is expected to augment the regional product demand.

Asia Pacific is expected to increase owing to expanding healthcare infrastructure including hospitals and clinics coupled with an increasing number of people opting for home care facilities and rising medical tourism in the region. In addition, the rapid spread of coronavirus across various countries including India, Japan, and Indonesia is further anticipated to augment the regional demand.

North America is anticipated to register a CAGR of 11.4% over the forecast period. Factors including rising healthcare expenditure coupled with increasing elderly population and growing awareness pertaining to healthcare-acquired infections among healthcare workers are anticipated to have a positive impact on market growth.

Latin America accounted for around 9.3% in terms of revenue. The market offers tremendous potential and opportunities in the field of disposable gloves. Improving healthcare infrastructure coupled with the expanding healthcare industry is expected to benefit the regional growth over the forecast period.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Major market players focus on research and development activities to develop new technologies for the manufacturing of products and integration across numerous stages of the value chain in order to gain a competitive edge in the market. E-commerce acts as a key factor driving the sale of disposable gloves and entering new markets, and expanding service offerings. Suppliers have been focusing on customer needs such as technical support and services. With the evolution of e-commerce, suppliers are able to source and supply products with reduced lead-time and faster delivery.

Some prominent players in the disposable gloves market include:

• Ansell Ltd

• Top Glove Corporation Bhd

• Hartalega Holdings Berhad

• Unigloves (UK) Limited

• The Glove Company

• Superior Gloves

• MAPA Professional

• Adenna LLC

• MCR Safety

• Atlantic Safety Products, Inc

• Globus (Shetland) Ltd.

• Supermax Corporation Berhad

• Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd

• Ammex Corporation

• Kimberly-Clark Corporation

• Sempermed USA, Inc

• Halyard Health, Inc

• Corporativo DL, S.A. de C.V

• Medline Industries, Inc

• Mölnlycke Health Care AB

Disposable Gloves Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global disposable gloves market report on the basis of material, product, end use, and region:

• Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Natural Rubber

  • Nitrile

  • Vinyl

  • Neoprene

  • Polyethylene

  • Others

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Powdered

  • Non Powdered

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Medical & healthcare

    • Examination

      • Dental

      • Veterinary

      • Hospital

      • EMS

      • Others

    • Surgical

      • Dental

      • Veterinary

      • Hospital

      • EMS

      • Others

  • Non-Medical

    • Automotive Finishing

    • Automotive Aftermarket

    • O&G and Mining

    • F&B Processing

    • F&B Service

    • Metal & Machinery

    • Chemical & Petrochemical

    • Pharmaceutical

    • Cleanroom

    • Academic R&D

    • Industrial R&D

    • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • The U.K.

    • France

    • Russia

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • South Korea

    • Indonesia

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Colombia

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

    • Chile

    • Peru

  • Middle East & Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • South Africa