Medical Gloves Market Research Report: By Raw Material (Latex, Nitrile, Vinyl, Neoprene), Application (Examination, Surgical), Sterility (Non-Sterile, Sterile), Type (Non-Powdered, Powdered), Distribution Channel (Indirect, Direct), End User (Hospitals, Clinics, and Diagnostic Centers, Ambulatory Surgery Centers) - Global Industry Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2030

Market Outlook

The medical gloves market revenue stood at $6,633.4 million in 2019, and it is projected to advance at a CAGR of 10.8% between 2020 and 2030. The growth can be attributed to the increasing risk of contagious diseases, rising elderly population, soaring healthcare expenditure, growing prevalence of chronic diseases, and growing volume of surgeries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a positive impact on the medical gloves industry, as it has caused a sudden surge in the demand for medical supplies. The healthcare industry is generating a huge demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), such as medical gloves, to protect patients and frontline health workers from spreading the virus during medical examinations and treatment. Moreover, the expanding pool of patients has resulted in a significant rise in the number of suppliers of these products. During the pandemic, companies such as Foxconn Technology Group and BYD Co. Ltd. have started manufacturing PPE items to fill the demand–supply gap and offer the requisite support to the healthcare system in these testing times.

Nitrile Medical Gloves Sold in Largest Numbers

In 2019, the nitrile category of the raw material segment accounted for the largest share in the medical gloves market due to the non-allergic properties of nitrile.

Examination Category To Showcase Faster Growth

The examination category, within the application segment, generated the higher revenue in 2019, and it is expected to witness the faster growth in the coming years. This would be due to the increasing number of examination procedures, which is already higher than the number of surgical procedures.

Non-Sterile Gloves Generate Higher Revenue

The non-sterile category held the larger share in 2019, and it is projected to continue its domination on the market for medical gloves, under segmentation by sterility. This is due to the surging usage of non-sterile gloves for medical examinations. Whereas, the sterile category is expected to register the faster growth between 2020 and 2030 due to the soaring cases of COVID-19 and easy availability of sterile gloves in a wide range of sizes.

Non-Powdered Medical Gloves To Witness Faster Growth in Demand

The non-powdered category, within the type segment, will observe the faster growth in the coming years owing to the non-allergic nature of these gloves.

Direct Distribution Channels Preferred over Indirect Channels

The direct category, under the distribution channel segment, held the larger share in the medical gloves market in 2019, and it is expected to maintain its dominance in the future. Healthcare facilities prefer buying medical gloves from the manufacturers directly, instead of procuring them from indirect channels, as the end users require these items in large quantities. Direct distribution enables manufacturers to deliver their products in a short duration, thereby helping build long-term relationships with customers and avoid sharing the profits with a third-party distributor.

Hospitals, Clinics, and Diagnostic Centers Category To Grow Faster

Hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers are expected to be the faster-growing end user category in the near future. Some of the key factors pushing this category’s growth include the escalating use of medical gloves, booming rate of patient hospitalization, soaring number of examinations and surgical procedures, and burgeoning cases of chronic disorders.

North America Projected To Generate Highest Revenue

The strong presence of key players, extensive requirement for medical gloves in healthcare units, and high prevalence of COVID-19 will lead to the dominance of North America on the market in the coming years. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics reveal that 1 in 13 people in the country suffered from asthma in 2019. Moreover, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion states that the U.S. recorded 14.8 million new cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among adults in 2018.

This is propelling the medical gloves market because people suffering from such chronic respiratory disorders are more prone to contracting COVID-19. Thus, due to the leading COVID-19 case count, in which the high prevalence of other respiratory disorders is playing an important role, the demand for medical supplies, including gloves, is rising in the region.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) To Exhibit Fastest Growth

The increasing prevalence of COVID-19, rising geriatric population, and mounting number of diagnostic examination and surgical procedures will aid the APAC region in demonstrating the fastest growth in the demand for medical gloves.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the number of stem cell transplants in Japan increased from 5,032 in 2010 to 5,609 in 2015. Likewise, Australia recorded 37,600 transluminal coronary angioplasties in 2010 and 45,517 in 2017. Thus, the accelerating volume of surgeries and improving healthcare infrastructure will add to the market growth.

Shift to Non-Powered Gloves from Powdered Gloves Is Major Trend

Customers around the world are showing preference for non-powdered medical gloves over powdered ones because of the non-allergic properties of the former. This trend in the medical gloves market is due to the starch present in powered gloves, which offers better hand movements and prevents the gloves from sticking to each other during packaging. However, the starch in these items can lead to severe allergic reactions while performing surgeries. Moreover, the easy availability of non-powdered gloves at a reasonable cost is boosting their global demand.

Growing Risk of Contagious Diseases To Facilitate Market Growth

Recent outbreaks of SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Ebola, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Zika have made significant contributions to the growth of the market for medical gloves. Presently, medical authorities are taking extensive measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, as it is transmitted via direct contact and nasal droplets. Protective medical items, such as examination and surgical gloves, are designed to prevent infections by offering a barrier between the potentially pathogenic environment and the user.

Surging Burden of Chronic Illnesses To Steer Market Growth

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cases of chronic diseases will increase by 57% by the end of 2020. Developing countries will witness most of them because of the consistent population growth. The growing incidence of chronic illnesses will result in a high volume of surgeries, thereby driving the medical gloves market advance. For instance, Mexico recorded an increase in the number of coronary artery bypass graft surgeries from 4,900 in 2015 to 5,125 in 2016. Similarly, the number in France grew from 19,242 in 2015 to 19,310 in 2016. Thus, the surging number of surgical procedures will generate a high demand for medical gloves worldwide.

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Product Launches Have Become Major Strategies for Market Players to Expand Consumer Base

The medical gloves market is fragmented in nature, with the presence of market players such as Top Glove Corporation Bhd, SUPERMAX Corporation Berhad, Halyard Health Inc., Hartalega Holdings Berhad, Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd, Cardinal Health Inc., Paul Hartmann AG, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Medline Industries Inc., and Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

In recent years, players in the medical gloves industry have engaged in strategic developments, such as mergers & acquisitions and product launches, in order to stay ahead of their competitors. For instance:

• In June 2019, Top Glove Corporation Bhd launched non-powdered BioGreen biodegradable nitrile gloves on World Environment Day.
• In June 2018, McKesson Corporation completed the acquisition of Medical Specialties Distributors, to expand McKesson’s customer base in the U.S.

Some of the Key Players in the Medical Gloves Market include:

Medical Gloves Market Size Breakdown by Segment

The medical gloves market report offers comprehensive market segmentation analysis along with market estimation for the period 2014–2030.

Based on Raw Material

• Latex
• Nitrile
• Vinyl
• Neoprene

Based on Application

• Examination
• Surgical

Based on Sterility

• Non-Sterile
• Sterile

Based on Type

• Non-Powdered
• Powdered

Based on Distribution Channel

• Indirect
• Direct

Based on End User

• Hospitals, Clinics, and Diagnostic Centers
• Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs)

Geographical Analysis

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • U.K.
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Netherlands
  • Switzerland
  • Belgium
  • Sweden
  • Austria
  • Denmark
• Asia-Pacific (APAC)
  • Japan
  • China
  • Australia
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Hong Kong
  • Philippines
  • Indonesia
• Latin America (LATAM)
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Argentina
  • Chile
• Middle East & Africa (MEA)
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • U.A.E
  • Qatar
  • Israel