Europe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Head Protection, Eye Protection), By End-use (Construction, Healthcare), By Country, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The Europe personal protective equipment (PPE) market size was estimated at USD 24,101.9 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% from 2023 to 2030. An increasing number of work-related wounds coupled with growing requirements for highly effective wear & tear-resistant and high-utility protective equipment in the majority of main industries such as refining, automotive, oil & gas, and metal manufacturing is expected to augment PPE penetration in the region over the forecast period.

Increased construction activity in Europe due to low mortgage rates is expected to propel the use of PPE in new construction as well as renovation activities. Demographic factors such as differences in economic activity and income distribution are expected to drive the market in the region. However, high labor costs are anticipated to have a negative influence on the construction industry in the region, which, in turn, may result in sluggish growth of the PPE market over the forecast period.

Germany is the leading construction market in Europe, with factors driving investment in the construction industry in Germany including favorable government incentives, digitization, economic confidence, resource efficiency, and a circular economy. A growing population coupled with a favorable economic environment and demographic changes are expected to drive the demand for residential buildings. In addition, a rising proportion of the elderly population is projected to boost the construction of community centers and hospitals in the country. Thus, the aforementioned factors are likely to drive the growth of the construction industry, thereby benefitting the PPE market growth.

Germany is the biggest automotive market in the European region. Increasing demand for premium cars coupled with strong R&D investments are factors that are likely to drive growth in the automotive sector. For instance, in 2022, automotive production in Germany recreated a million units, which is 11% more compared to 2021. This, in turn, is expected to drive demand for PPE over the forecast period.

Product Insights

The protective clothing segment is expected to hold a significant share of the market in 2022, with a revenue share of 25.5%. The growth of the segment is attributed to the rising adoption of resilient clothing in major industries such as construction, oil & gas, and mining and is expected to enhance market penetration over the forecast period. In addition, the rising demand for single-use manufacturing protective clothing in industries like healthcare and chemicals, where the protective clothing cannot be reused owing to contamination, is expected to complement the segment’s growth. Heat & flame protective clothing offers protection from heat, arc flash, combustible dust explosions, and fire to employees working in end-use industries. Growing demand for the product in the construction, oil & gas, chemical, and firefighting sectors is expected to boost the segment's growth.

The protective footwear segment is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2023 to 2030. Workplace hazards include chainsaws, electric shock, electrical conductivity, metatarsal impact, sole puncture, static discharge, and the impact must be avoided by construction workers by wearing protective footwear. The solution also offers defense against contact with biological and chemical agents, slippery and wet surfaces, exposure to thermal elements including heat and cold as well as molten metals, and electrical & anti-static risks.

The respiratory protective equipment protects employees against hazardous gases & vapors, radiological particles, particulates, chemical agents, and biological contaminants. Rising demand for unpowered respirators particularly in the mining, petrochemical, and the oil & gas sector is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. Unpowered respirators are used in various industries; for example, FFP1 is mostly used in construction and building activities. FFP2 respirators are suitable for welding, petrochemicals, brazing & working with molten metals, metallurgy, soldering batteries, tire dyes & dyestuff, cement, ceramics, construction, coal, and fertilizers. The abovementioned factors will positively impact market growth.

End-use Insights

The healthcare segment dominated the market in 2022 with a revenue share of 21.3%. Protective equipment for healthcare workers is crucial to the fight against the novel coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments and businesses to act swiftly to boost the production of medical masks, respirators, and gloves. In order to meet the global demand, WHO estimates that companies must increase their production by 40%. Many PPE manufacturers are operating at close to 100% capacity and prioritizing the orders to the countries where the shortage is severe.

The manufacturing segment is estimated to witness a steady growth rate of 7.4%. Personal protective equipment used in the manufacturing industry includes safety helmets, gloves, protective clothing, masks, protective footwear, ear protection, and protective goggles. General manufacturing includes heavy manufacturing such as plastics manufacturing & chemical handling and light manufacturing such as apparel production & food processing all of which need different levels of PPE based on the type of activity and hazard involved. The manufacturing industry in Germany is anticipated to grow at a rapid rate in the future owing to favorable government initiatives. With the rising workforce, new factories and plants have been set up in the country, which is expected to drive the PPE market over the forecast period.

The mining industry is anticipated to remain a key end-use sector for the personal protective equipment market globally owing to the high level of industrial hazards. Mining is associated with a large number of hazards, such as contact of chemicals with the skin and inhalation of harmful gases that may cause diseases and risk the life of an employee. Airborne contaminants arising from mining activities are the most dangerous and pose respiratory hazards that tend to cause fatal illness to affected employees. In 2021, 3M Company launched a KN95 respirator with a four-layer 3D design that filters 95% of airborne particles such as dust, smog, smoke, PM2.5, and other particles.

Country Insights

UK is expected to hold 11.1% of the Europe personal protective equipment market in 2022, owing to rising awareness regarding employee safety, coupled with an increasing number of policies by the UK government, such as the HSE business plan, which is anticipated to drive the market. Furthermore, increasing standardization and inspection in the manufacturing facilities, along with severe action taken by the government against failure to comply with the standards, are expected to complement market growth.

France is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period owing to rising health awareness, which is expected to boost the demand for generic drugs and personal protective equipment, which is likely to propel market demand. Significant research & development in the field of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Italy is expected to have a positive impact on the demand for PPE over the forecast period.

The Scandinavian region is attributed to rising construction activity across the country. The Scandinavian construction sector outperformed its allies in 2020 due to reasonable containment efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive advances in the residential and infrastructure sectors helped boost growth, which was aided by public and private sector investments in construction and civil engineering projects. The Swedish economy remained strong during the pandemic, with the growth shown in a number of industries, notably construction. Thus, the aforementioned factors are likely to drive the growth of the construction industry, thereby benefiting the PPE market growth.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Key players have integrated along the personal protective equipment market value chain to further strengthen their market position. For instance, DuPont has a presence across each step of the personal protective equipment market value chain, right from raw materials to end users. The company is a manufacturer and distributor of chemicals and fibers. It is also a producer and supplier of personal protective equipment and its end user. Moreover, many players are also adopting acquisition strategy to increase the reach of their products in the market and increase the availability of their products & services in diverse geographical areas. For instance, in January 2020, Avon Rubber plc completed the acquisition of 3M’s ballistic protection business. This acquisition has strengthened the former’s position in the ballistic protection market. Some prominent players in the Europe personal protective equipment market include:

• Honeywell International Inc.

• Lakeland Industries Inc.

• DuPont

• 3M

• Ansell Ltd.

• Avon Rubber plc

• COFRA S.r.l.

• Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) Company

• Lindstrom Group

• Radians, Inc.

Europe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market Report Scope

Europe Personal Protective Equipment Market Report Segmentation

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

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

  • Head Protection

  • Eye Protection

  • Face Protection

  • Hearing Protection

  • Protective Clothing

    • Heat & flame protection

    • Chemical defending

    • Clean room clothing

    • Mechanical protective clothing

    • Limited general use

    • Others

  • Respiratory Protection

    • Air-purifying respirator

    • Supplied air respirators

  • Protective Footwear

    • Leather

    • Rubber

    • PVC

    • Polyurethane

    • Others

  • Fall Protection

    • Soft Goods

    • Hard Goods

    • Others

  • Hand Protection

    • Disposable

    • Durable

  • Others

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

  • Construction

  • Manufacturing

  • Oil & Gas

  • Chemicals

  • Food

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Healthcare

  • Transportation

  • Mining

  • Others

• Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • France

  • Germany

  • Italy

  • Russia

  • Scandinavia

  • Spain

  • UK