Healthcare Fabrics Market Size Forecast to Reach $15.3 Billion by 2025

Healthcare Fabrics Market size is forecast to reach $15.3 billion by 2025, after growing at a CAGR of 6.2% during 2020-2025, owing to the growing geriatric population, the continuous technological advances and the strict regulatory framework for the use of medical textiles. Medical textiles are used in a variety of applications ranging from non-implantable products such as bandages, wound care, prosthetic socks, adhesive tapes, protective eye pads and orthopedic belts. Technical developments in active implants, tissue engineering, spinal implants, and socioeconomic changes in developing countries, as well as changes in age structure of the industrialized nations, are expected to increase market growth in the near future. Increasing consumer awareness of hygiene products and improved quality of healthcare fabrics are key factors expected to drive the growth of the market in healthcare fabrics during the forecast period.

Key Takeaways

• Asia Pacific dominates the healthcare fabrics market, owning to rising awareness among the consumers, rapidly growing middle class, and increasing disposable income in the region.
• Continuing advances in the medical and textile sectors, coupled with changing demographics and consumer demand, are expected to boost the market over the forecast period.
• The ongoing spread of COVID-19, has increased the demand for protective masks, gowns, gloves and so on. Thus, supporting healthcare fabrics market growth.

Raw Material - Segment Analysis

The polypropylene segment held the largest share in the healthcare fabrics market in 2019, owing to the high demand for use in hygiene products. Polypropylene is used in the top sheet of hygiene products; therefore, increased consumption of sanitary napkins and baby wraps are fueling polypropylene demand. The polyester segment is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period, due to polyester materials durability and low linting characteristics. Polyester fabrics have a high tensile resistance and are very strong. Due to its chemical resistant, abrasion resistant, wrinkle resistant and also highly durable, demand for the polyester segment is expected to rise. In March 2017, Precision Fabrics Group Inc. developed Derma Therapy, bedding products that include sheets, pillowcases and fabric pads that provide a cleaner and drier, hypoallergenic lint-free sleeping surface. DermaTherapy bedding is an immense enhancement over polyester and cotton products.

Type - Segment Analysis

Nonwoven fabrics held the largest share in the healthcare fabrics market in 2019, owing to their softness, strength, comfort, stretch ability, cost, and high absorbing ability of liquids. Some of the other properties of nonwoven fabric that have contributed to an increase in healthcare industry application include: its ability to reduce the risk of spreading drug-resistant bacteria, virus and blood-borne diseases. Its ability to be tailored to medical specifications and requirements. Its environmentally friendly nature, being disposable without harming the environment. Some of the major types of non-woven fabrics are polyester and non-woven polypropylene. Non-woven fabrics made from Polyester are produced by punching the needle. These fabrics have good properties for heat setting, excellent elasticity, high wet strength and good features for draping. These fabrics also maintain their physical properties under wet conditions and are resistant to changes in humidity. They are used in gowns, masks and drapes for medical and surgical uses. Growing investment in health care facilities in the Asia-Pacific region are driving the growth of PET nonwoven fabrics.

Application - Segment Analysis

The hygiene application segment held the largest share in the healthcare fabrics market in 2019 and is growing at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. This is majorly due to the increasing consumption of sanitary napkins and baby diapers across the globe. The hygiene products are not used specifically in medical practice but are used mainly for healthcare and good hygiene applications such as surgical clothing, bedding, sanitary napkins, wipes, surgical covers, and so on. Increasing awareness of new wound care technologies, growing diabetes and aging populations, and government support in the form of non-implantable goods funding are widely used around the world, which is expected to boost growth over the forecast period.

Geography - Segment Analysis

Asia-Pacific held the largest share in the healthcare fabrics market in 2019 up to 30%, due to the increasing adoption of female hygiene products in countries, such as India, and China. In India the market penetration rate of sanitary napkin has increased significantly since 2014, according to the BCH (Indian Nonwovens Industry Association). In addition, China's textile industry is booming, with the 13th Five Year Plan providing increased investment and government support. The country's textile and apparel makers are undergoing painful restructuring in the country. While the country is still the world's largest clothing exporter with huge production capacity, over-supply at home, high labor costs and rising global protectionism have all eroded its competitiveness. This scenario is likely to be a positive factor in the fabrication of healthcare fabrics and thus creating more opportunities for the market. In Asia Pacific economies governments spend and allocate huge amounts of money in their budgets. High government spending and investments specifically reinforced the country's healthcare sector, which in turn boosted the Asia Pacific healthcare fabrics market. For instance, India's government allocated USD 8.7 billion to the health-care budget in 2019. The allocation was made to support reform, startup healthcare and upgrade of government hospitals, especially in rural parts of the country.

Drivers – Healthcare Fabrics Market

• Increasing government initiatives.

Growing government initiatives in developing economies has increased the demand for healthcare fabrics. For instance, the Central Govt. of India have taken various business-friendly decision such as make in India, skill India, and digital India to increase the adoption in healthcare fabrics. These government initiatives has put a lot of positive impact on various business sectors including the textile industry.  In addition, according to Eurostat, healthcare expenditure per person in 2016 amounted to EUR 5,000 or higher in three EU Member States that are Luxembourg (EUR 5,600), Sweden (EUR 5,100) and Denmark (EUR 5,000), the per-person healthcare expenditure in Europe is very high and continually increasing. In March 2019, Gilde Healthcare raised $224 million to invest in suppliers of medical products and other health businesses. The fund moves the amount raised by Gilde’s healthcare investment vehicles past the $1.12 billion mark. The growing investments in healthcare facilities are driving the growth of PET nonwoven fabrics. For instance, in July 2019, Flare Capital Partners, invested $255 million in committed capital healthcare. Companies are focusing to introduce the products with new innovations. For instance, Freudenberg Performance Materials’ developed nonwovens and polyurethane foams to the medical and wound care industry for more than three decades. Therefore, these factors are driving healthcare fabrics market growth.

Challenges – Healthcare Fabrics Market 

• High investment in R&D and availability of menstrual cups.

High investment requirements in R&D and the availability of alternative products are factors that restrict the growth of the healthcare fabrics market. Moreover, the lack of awareness of personal hygiene in emerging countries such as Indonesia, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Iran and South Africa is expected to hamper the growth of the demand for healthcare fabrics. In addition, the availability of menstrual cups as an alternative to sanitary napkins is also restraining the growth of the healthcare fabrics market.

Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Healthcare Fabrics Market. In 2019, the market of Healthcare Fabrics Market has been consolidated by the top five players accounting for xx% of the share. Major players in the healthcare fabrics market includes Advanced Fabrics, Maharam Fabric Corporation, Carnegie Fabrics, LLC, Architex International, Brentano Inc, Designtex, Paramount Tech Fab Industries, Arc-Com, Knoll, Inc. and Kimberly-Clark Corporation, among others.

Acquisitions/Technology Launches

• In March 2020, Designtex and Celliant launched upholstery fabrics range “Designtex Celliant upholstery”.
• In September 2015, Designtex entered into a partnership with Vescom to launch a curated portfolio of Designtex textiles into the European and South American markets.