The Future Of Global Security Printing To 2030

• The global security printing market has seen growth of 2.2% CAGR since 2020 to reach $33.9 billion in 2025
• The market is forecast to reach $39.7 billion in value in 2030, which represents growth of 3.2% CAGR

The global security printing industry is undergoing its most consequential transformation in decades, shaped by intensifying geopolitical shocks, rapid regulatory evolution, and the accelerating convergence of physical and digital identity ecosystems. From banknotes and identity documents to tax stamps, pharmaceutical packaging, and brand-protection labels, the demands placed on secure printed products are expanding well beyond traditional counterfeiting deterrence.  

Definition

Looking ahead to 2030, the industry’s centre of gravity will continue migrating from security printing to security systems printing. This flagship Smithers report examines the geopolitical, technological, economic, and regulatory forces driving this transition, and assesses their impact on market evolution through the end of the decade. Based on extensive primary research, the report segments the market by security technology, end-use application and geographic region, and forecasts growth from 2025 to 2030.  

Key Questions

• What are the key dynamics shaping the evolution of the security print market across the next five years?
• How are shifts in end-user demand and commercial technology expected to change the outlook for major security print sectors, and what opportunities does this create for supply chain diversification?
• How is the global security printing market working to enhance security features in response to increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting activities?  

This report is essential to:

• Security print providers and suppliers of security inks and papers  
• State printing works and central banks  
• Security print consultants and analysts  

About the author

Dr James Wojtyk has over 25 years of extensive experience in scientific research, technology innovation, and strategic leadership across Canadian academic, government, and industrial sectors. For three years Dr Wojtyk headed up Research and Development in Currency at the Bank of Canada, integrating new technologies into banknotes, advising on counterfeit threats and fostering international collaborations - all to drive innovation and security. 

Executive summary
Introduction and methodology

• Introduction
• Report scope
• Report objectives
• Methodology
• Definitions
• Abbreviations

Key drivers and trends

• Introduction
• Geopolitical shocks redefining supply and demand
• Regulation is accelerating the “phy-gital” transition
• By 2030, technology convergence trends reshape products
• Automation of borders (E-borders)
• Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)
• Polymer substrates: durable, printable, sustainable
• Sustainability becomes a procurement gatekeeper
• Rolling out electronic / mobile IDs
• Reinventing brand protection: physical carriers anchored to digital trust
• Pharmaceutical serialization in 2030: digital, verified, and tamper-proof
• Tax stamps and excise : from stickers to security systems
• Phy-gital trend setters
• Phy-gital transition: new technologies = new risks
• Summary

Technological innovations

• Introduction
• Types of security features
• Security printing technologies: end use applications
• Security technologies: drivers, constraints, and implications
  • Banknotes
  • Passports & ID cards
  • Tax stamps
  • Brand-protection labels
• The substrate: basis for security
• Future trends in substrate-level security
  • Case studies
    • Banknotes
    • Passports
    • Excise / tax stamps & track-and-trace
• Micro-optic security technologies
  • Trends in micro-optics
  • Case study
• DOVID technologies and emerging applications
• DOVID technology trends
  • Case studies
• Security ink technologies
• Security ink trends
  • Case study: Canada’s 2025 passport
• Taggant technologies
• Taggant technology trends
  • Case studies
    • Banknotes
    • Passports / personal IDs
    • Tax stamps (excise)
    • Brand protection
• Modern security thread technologies
• Security thread trends
  • Case studies
    • Banknotes
    • Passports / personal IDs
    • Tax stamps (excise)
• Biometric technologies
  • Biometric trends
• Printing technologies
• Printing technology trends
• Additional printing technologies
• Layered printing approaches in security applications
  • Print coding technologies
• Print coding trends
• Electronic coding in security printing
  • Case studies: print and electronic coding
    • Tax stamps
    • Brand protection
• Conclusion

Global security printing: technology markets and forecasts

• Overview
• DOVIDs
• Substrates
• Inks
• Taggants
• Watermarking
• Security threads
• Biometrics
  • RFID & coding
  • RFID
  • Coding
  • RFID and coding market
• Printing processes

Global security printing market: end use markets and forecasts

• Overview
• Banknotes
  • Polymer notes
  • Paper notes
• Payment cards
  • Dynamic cryptogram payment cards
  • Biometric authentication
  • Eco-friendly cards
  • Digital or mobile wallets
• Cheques
• Personal ID
  • Passports
  • National ID documents
  • Driving licenses
  • Visas
  • Other government documents
• Ticketing
  • RFID embedded tickets
  • NFT tickets
• Brand protection
  • Track and trace
  • Tamper evidence
  • Product authentication
  • Anti-theft
• Stamps
  • Tax stamps
  • Postage stamps

Global security printing market: geographic markets and forecasts

• Overview
• Western Europe
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • UK
  • Other Western Europe
  • Eastern Europe
• North America
  • Canada
  • USA
• Latin America
• Asia
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Other Asia
• Middle East
• Africa
• Australasia

Figures

• Global security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020 and 2030
• Global security printing market by technology (% value), 2025
• Global security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020 and 2030
• Global security printing market, by end-use sector (% value), 2025
• Global security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020 and 2030
• Global security printing market, by region (% value), 2025
• Global security printing market, by technology (%), 2020, 2025 & 2030
• Global security printing market, by end-use sector (%), 2020, 2025 & 2030
• Personal ID documents: security printing share by type, 2022
• Global brand protection market by end-use sector, 2025 & 2030
• Global brand protection market: share of technology segments, 2025
• Product authentication technologies, share 2025
• Global security printing market by region (%), 2020, 2025 & 2030

Tables

• Security printing technology transition, 2025–2030
• Security print technologies, end uses and technology
• Substrate Security by Application
• Security Inks by Application
• Global security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Main types of holographic nanostructure origination techniques
• DOVIDs: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• DOVIDs: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Substrates: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Substrates: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Inks: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Inks: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Taggants: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Taggants: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Watermarking: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Watermarking: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Threads: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Threads: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Biometrics: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Biometrics: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• RFID & coding: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• RFID & coding: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Types of printing processes used for security printing
• Print process: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Print process: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Global security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Banknotes: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Banknotes: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Payment card security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Payment card: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Cheques: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Cheques: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Personal ID: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Personal ID: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Ticketing: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Ticketing: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Brand protection: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Brand protection: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Stamps: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Stamps: security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Global security printing market, by region ($ million), 2020–2030
• Western Europe: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Western Europe: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Eastern Europe: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Eastern Europe: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• North America: security printing market, by technology, ($ million), 2020–2030
• North America: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Latin America: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Latin America: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2016–26
• Asia: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Asia: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Middle East: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Middle East: security printing market, by end-use ($ million), 2020–2030
• Africa: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Africa: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030
• Australasia: security printing market, by technology ($ million), 2020–2030
• Australasia: security printing market, by end-use sector ($ million), 2020–2030