- Nonwovens for wipes are a $26.0 billion market in 2026, reaching $35.7 billion by 2031 (6.5% CAGR)
- Volumes rise from 2.0 to 2.6 million tonnes over the same period (5.1% CAGR)
- Baby wipes take 46.2% of total volume but just 28.4% of value
Nonwoven wipes fall into two major types: consumer and industrial. Consumer wipes include baby wipes, personal care wipes and household or homecare wipes; industrial wipes comprise general purpose, specialty, food service and healthcare wipes.
After two decades of rising growth rates, the nonwoven wipes market is beginning to slow, especially in consumption by tonnes. This appears to be due to a combination of market maturity and current geopolitical and global economic pressures. Despite these significant headwinds, the nonwoven wipes market is still projected to grow faster than GDP, at 6.5% (value) and 5.1% (tonnes) a year over 2026–31.
Based on extensive primary and secondary research, this major new report covers all nonwoven wipes by type, process, end use and geography, with market sizes and forecasts to 2031. It examines the whole value chain for nonwoven wipes, including technology developments and the competitive landscape, making it the ultimate strategic planning tool for the wipes market.
Key Questions
- How will the implementation of plastic-free legislation affect the wipes industry?
- How are wipes producers responding to flushability guidelines?
- How does the sustained nonwovens growth in Asia affect the wipes market?
- How will plastic-free mandates affect baby wipes, the largest-volume wipes segment?
About the author
Phillip Mango brings over 45 years of nonwovens industry experience across technical, operations, and marketing roles throughout the supply chain. He founded and ran his own multimillion-dollar nonwovens production company, and has spent the last 22 years supporting major companies in market and product development alongside his work at Smithers (17 years). Phillip is a key member of the Smithers team, delivering quantitative market data, forecasts, off-the-shelf market studies and strategic consultancy across the value chain.
