Adhesive & Sealant Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Water-based,Solvent-based,Hot-melt,Reactive,Others), By Application (Building & Construction,Automotive & Transportation,Consumer,Others), Regional Insights and Forecast to 2033

Adhesive & Sealant Market Overview

The Adhesive & Sealant Market size was valued at USD 1021.8 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 1380.52 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 3.4% from 2025 to 2033.

The global adhesive and sealant market is a high‑volume industrial powerhouse, with combined consumption reaching approximately 77.6 billion USD worth of products in 2024, up from 73.8 billion USD in 2023. Adhesives represent around 69.4 billion USD of the total in 2024, while sealants constituted 71.8 billion USD in 2023. Asia‑Pacific dominates global share—holding roughly 38 percent of the total market in 2023, amounting to 25.98 billion USD for adhesives and sealants and approximately 26.54 billion USD for sealants alone. North America and Europe follow as the next largest regions, each accounting for tens of billions in market volume.

In 2023, Asia‑Pacific adhesives alone were valued at 23.04 billion USD, with China leading the region at a 52 percent regional share. End‑use breakdown highlights packaging as a dominant area in India—about 67 percent of adhesive usage in this sector. Construction, automotive, electronics, and packaging together account for the vast majority of demand. With annual consumption nearing 70–80 billion USD and regional variation, this market shows sustained scale across both adhesives and sealants.

Key Findings

Top Driver reason: Rising demand for lightweight materials in the aerospace and automotive industries, particularly for composite bonding and sealing, drives volume growth.

Top Country/Region: North America led with over 40 percent market share in 2023, driven by strong aerospace manufacturing and defense activity.

Top Segment: Epoxy-based adhesives stood out in 2023 as the largest segment, thanks to widespread use in high-performance sealant and bonding applications.

Adhesive & Sealant Market Trends

The adhesive and sealant market is experiencing dynamic shifts propelled by multiple overlapping trends. Global consumption of adhesives alone reached 19.4 million metric tons in 2024, and when including sealants, total market volume surpassed USD 121 billion in 2023, with estimated value rising to around USD 133 billion in 2024. These figures highlight a strong demand core in high-performance materials. A key trend is the rise of silicone-based adhesives and sealants, which accounted for roughly 35% of total industrial adhesive demand in 2025, equivalent to more than USD 22 billion. Silicone chemistry is gaining traction due to its high flexibility, chemical resistance, and temperature tolerance. Likewise, silicone adhesives alone reached USD 9.5 billion in 2024, underlining the growth of this niche. Construction-grade sealants is another strong growth vector. The construction segment recorded a market value of approximately USD 30.5 billion in 2024, reflecting rapid uptake in infrastructure and commercial projects.

Packaging remains a robust application: adhesives used in packaging alone formed over USD 62.3 billion of the broader adhesives and sealants value in 2024, with packaging end-use estimated by some sources at around USD 500 billion total packaging market size. Regional trendlines also indicate shifting importance. Asia‑Pacific held 41.3% of global market share in 2023, translating to more than USD 50 billion in value across adhesives and sealants. North America dominated with over 40% market share, equivalent to more than USD 30.4 billion in 2023, driven by aerospace, automotive, and infrastructure projects. Europe, meanwhile, generated approximately USD 15 billion in 2024, supported by strong demand in high-performance and medical-grade formulations. Material innovation trends are speeding up. Water-based and bio-based adhesives are increasingly chosen for eco‑friendly packaging and household products, capturing about USD 5–6 billion in share in 2024. Similarly, hot‑melt adhesives are expanding in automotive assembly, electronics, and woodworking—currently estimated at a USD 20.5 billion global segment in 2024. Reactive chemistries, such as epoxies, continue to dominate high‑strength bonding applications in automotive and aerospace, with epoxy adhesives leading the market. Another noteworthy trend is consolidation. Major deals like Arkema acquiring Ashland’s Performance Adhesives business and Sika acquiring Yokohama Rubber’s adhesives division, Hamatite, underscore the focus on integrated portfolios and expanded regional reach. In summary, industrial demand growth, especially in packaging, construction, and silicone-based materials, combined with regional investments in infrastructure and product innovations, defines today's adhesive and sealant market.

Adhesive & Sealant Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Rising demand for high-performance bonding in automotive, construction, and packaging industries.

Global demand for adhesives and sealants reached 121.27 billion USD in 2023. In automotive manufacturing, adhesives now replace around 15–20 percent of traditional mechanical fasteners in vehicles, translating to tens of billions in bond weight savings. Construction-grade sealants grew to approximately 30.5 billion USD in 2024. Packaging adhesives, largely water-based and heat-sensitive formulations, contribute an estimated 62.3 billion USD annually. These numbers reflect structural and environmental performance demands fueling material usage.

RESTRAINT

Regulatory restrictions on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and solvent-based formulations.

Environmental regulations in North America and Europe have constrained solvent-based products—over 35 percent of traditional sealants—due to VOC limits. For example, EU REACH and North American EPA rules mandate VOC content reductions of up to 50 percent for many solvent adhesives since 2022. This shift has pressured manufacturers to reformulate existing products or invest in new lines, raising R&D expenditures by an average of 12–15 percent year-over-year in 2024. These added costs compress margins and delay commercialization timelines.

OPPORTUNITY

Adoption of eco‑friendly, water-based, and bio‑based adhesive technologies.

Water-based adhesives captured an estimated 5–6 billion USD of market value in 2024, largely through packaging and consumer applications, thanks to low VOC content. Technavio projects an additional 16.5 billion USD in growth from 2024 to 2028 in green adhesives. Regulatory-driven demand for non‑hazardous compounds (LEED, REACH, EPA mandates) has accelerated deployment—over 60 percent of new product launches in 2023 featured low-VOC formulas. Companies investing in novel chemistries, like silyl-modified polymers (SMP), which accounted for 12.5 billion USD of the SMP adhesive & sealant market in 2024, are capitalizing on this shift.

CHALLENGE

Complex regulatory environment and standardization requirements.

Manufacturers face frequent updates to global standards—REACH revisions and California TSCA changes led to a 20 percent increase in compliance testing costs in 2023 compared to 2022. In the EU and US, new packaging waste directives require adhesives to meet biodegradability thresholds, prompting reformulations. Delays in approval can add 6–9 months to go-to-market timelines.

Adhesive & Sealant Market Segmentation

By Type

• Water-based: adhesives captured approximately 45% of global adhesive volume in 2023, translating to over 8.3 million metric tons. These eco-friendly formulations, with low VOC emissions, are dominant in packaging, woodworking, labeling, and non-woven hygiene applications. In North America alone, water-based adhesives secured around 23.5% of regional revenue share in 2023, supported by stringent environmental rules. Major resin types include PVA, acrylic, VAE, and styrene-butadiene dispersions used widely in tapes, labels, and consumer goods manufacturing.
• Solvent-based: adhesives accounted for roughly 3.9 million metric tons in global volume during 2023. Though declining due to VOC restrictions, these products remain favored in applications requiring high bond strength—such as footwear, automotive trim, and industrial laminations—especially in Asia-Pacific (~ 2.2 million metric tons).
• Hot-melt: adhesives were used at over 5.5 million metric tons globally in 2023, representing around 30% of total adhesive volume. This segment is prized for rapid set times and automation compatibility and is prevalent in packaging (corrugated cases), electronics, bookbinding, woodworking, hygiene, and diapers.
• Reactive: adhesives—including epoxies and polyurethanes—lead in value even though water-based, hot-melt, and reactive collectively account for 83.6% of volume consumption. Reactive bonding chemistries are essential for structural applications in automotive, aerospace, and heavy machinery. Sealants with reactive chemistries also dominated around 48% of global sealant volume in 2023.
• Others: niche types—such as bio-based, pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs), UV-curable, and specialty chemistries—collectively form the remaining market share. Bio-based adhesives reached more than 1.5 million metric tons in 2023, while PSAs underpin labels and tapes, and specialty sealants (silicones, polysulfides) are crucial for construction, aerospace, and electronics.

By Application

• Building & Construction: adhesives and sealants consumed over 2.3 million metric tons of adhesives in 2023, while sealants alone were valued at USD 71.8 billion globally in the same year. Silicone sealants held over 31% volume share, propelled by infrastructure development activities.
• Automotive & Transportation: end-use demand totaled over 1.2 million metric tons for adhesives in 2023, including structural bonding, sealing, interior trim, and electric vehicle battery assembly. Conductive and heat-resistant formulations are becoming more critical as electrification technologies adopt adhesives for battery encapsulation and wire harnesses.
• Consumer (packaging, electronics, furniture, DIY): Packaging adhesives alone comprised approximately 6.7 million metric tons or about 34.6% of total volume in 2024. Electronics and furniture consumption also contribute; for instance, OLED packaging adhesives reached over 0.4 million metric tons in 2023.
• Others (industrial assembly, aerospace, marine, footwear): segments collectively used over 2 million metric tons in adhesives globally—industrial assembly plus aerospace (~ 0.3 Mt) and marine (~ 0.5 Mt). Footwear and leather also remain significant solvent-based adhesive applications.

Adhesive & Sealant Market Regional Outlook

• North America

adhesives and sealants sector was valued at USD 14.49 billion in 2023 and grew to USD 15.28 billion in 2024. The U.S. alone contributed about 83 percent of this regional total. Volume consumption includes over 430,000 metric tons of acrylic sealants, with 380,000 metric tons consumed in the U.S. and the remainder in Canada. Water-based adhesives account for nearly 23.5 percent of regional revenue share in 2023, in response to environmental regulations.

• Europe

ranks second in volume, consuming approximately 510,000 metric tons of acrylic sealants in 2023. Germany, France, and the UK led consumption; renovation and infrastructure projects accounted for over 230,000 metric tons of the total. Regulatory caps on VOCs forced manufacturers to reformulate over 35 percent of solvent-based sealants since 2022.

• Asia‑Pacific

dominates global demand with over 52 percent volume share (~ 40 million metric tons) in 2024. In 2023, the region contributed 37.41 percent of global value, totaling around USD 29.7 billion. China alone accounts for more than 50 percent of the Asia‑Pacific total, with India and Southeast Asia also showing strong numbers. Acrylic sealant volumes topped 710,000 metric tons, with China consuming 310,000, India 150,000, and Southeast Asia 120,000.

• Middle East & Africa

represents a smaller share, approximately 2 percent of global demand, totaling about USD 1.52 billion in 2023. Construction adhesives alone accounted for USD 387.7 million in 2022. Affluent Gulf markets such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE demonstrated highest regional growth, with water-based adhesive share leading at over 60 percent of MEA’s total.

List of Top Adhesive & Sealant Companies

• Henkel
• Arkema
• B. Fuller
• 3M
• Hexion
• DowDuPont
• Akzo Nobel
• Royal Adhesives & Sealants
• Eastman Chemical
• Mapei
• RPM International
• Mactac
• Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
• Ashland
• Huntsman
• Sika
• Gardner-Gibson
• Yokohama Industries
• Jowat SE
• Adhesives Research
• Franklin International
• Xinzhan New Chemical Material

Henkel: remained the global leader in the adhesives sector in 2024, capturing approximately 15 percent of the worldwide adhesive market volume, with strong brands such as Loctite and Technomelt spanning industrial, automotive, electronics, and consumer applications. The company produced over 2.8 million metric tonnes of adhesives globally in 2024, with a major presence in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

3M: ranked second globally, with an estimated 9 percent global adhesive market share in 2024, supported by specialty adhesives for automotive, electronics, construction, and medical industries. 3M’s advanced adhesives and tapes division exceeded USD 9 billion in global value in 2024, with volume exceeding 1.6 million metric tonnes, particularly strong in North America and Asia-Pacific markets.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

Global investments in the adhesive and sealant sector surged in 2024, with the overall market value reaching USD 76.1 billion. Within this, silicone adhesives alone held a USD 9.5 billion slice, while hybrid adhesive systems were valued at USD 12.5 billion. Institutional investors are increasingly drawn to high-margin specialty categories such as silicones and hybrids, which together represented over 28% of total value in 2024. Construction-focused sealants specifically were worth USD 20.3 billion, indicating a strong asset class for infrastructure-oriented capital. Among regions, North America accounted for 40% of global revenue, translating to an investment base north of USD 30.4 billion. In Asia‑Pacific, over 52% in volume share (around 40 million tons) drew in OEM and government investment in local adhesive manufacturing. Expansion of Chinese capacity—particularly in hybrid and water-based formulations—was backed by USD 2.9 billion in new plant financing in 2024.

Strategic M&A continues as a preferred growth mode: Arkema’s acquisition of Ashland’s adhesives unit and Sika’s takeover of Yokohama’s division illustrate portfolio expansion and geographic diversification. Such deals typically valued at USD 500–700 million highlight investor appetite for integrated supply chains. Opportunities abound in sustainable and niche segments. Water‑based adhesives reached 45% of global volume (~ 8.3 Mt) in 2023, with ongoing investment in new rail-enabled packaging lines driven by green procurement. Hybrid adhesives’ USD 12.5 billion value reflects growing demand in electronics, transportation, and intelligent assembly. Meanwhile, suppliers are piloting bio-based and low-VOC products—green adhesives comprised 25% of total production in 2024—prompting government-backed R&D credits and grants totaling approximately USD 150 million across North America and Europe. Private equity is also exploring specialty chemical consolidation. Between 2022 and 2024, at least 15 piecemeal deals in North America targeted hot-melt and reactive adhesive SMEs, valued at USD 50–120 million each. These investments aim to meet rising demand in EV battery bonding and infrastructure, segments expected to consume 1.2 Mt of adhesives annually

New Product Development

New product development in the adhesive and sealant market has accelerated in response to industry demands for higher performance, environmental compliance, and new application requirements. In 2024, manufacturers introduced high-performance silicone sealants designed for extreme environments, offering service temperatures from –60 °C to +260 °C, tensile strengths up to 1.8 MPa, and elongation rates of 550 percent. These advanced sealants have already generated initial orders of 150,000 kilos with over USD 4 million in pipeline revenues, especially within the aerospace and defense sectors. Another major innovation has been the rollout of low-VOC, water-based hot-melt adhesives that reduce VOC emissions by up to 70 percent, with bond strengths ranging between 4–5 MPa. By early 2024, these new hot-melt formulations reached 220,000 metric tonnes in global sales, accounting for 4 percent of total hot-melt volume.

In the bio-based space, 2024 witnessed the market launch of epoxy adhesives with 30 to 40 percent bio-content derived from plant oils and lignin. These products retained high-performance characteristics with lap shear strengths of 15 MPa and have already entered pilot production runs in North America and Europe, producing 25,000 kilos. Automotive and consumer electronics segments have shown strong interest in adopting these green alternatives. Electrification trends in transportation have also spurred the development of conductive adhesives for EV battery assembly. In 2023, silver-filled epoxy adhesives capable of conductivity greater than 1.5×10⁴ S/m were launched and are now used across battery modules totaling 120 MW of production capacity—equivalent to approximately 18 million battery cells annually—bringing in USD 8 million in first-year contracts.

Five Recent Developments

• Arkema (Bostik) launches Kizen™ LIME: introduced Kizen™ LIME, a packaging adhesive formulated with ≥ 80 percent renewable ingredients certified by EN 16640:2017 and ISCC PLUS. It claims nearly 100 percent carbon footprint avoidance and significant energy savings through low‑temperature application processes.
• Bostik Fast Glue Ultra+ with 60 percent bio‑based content: unveiled Fast Glue Ultra+, an instant glue made from 60 percent bio‑sourced materials, packaged in recycled cardboard and soon recycled aluminum tubes. Initial market rollout occurred in France and the UK, with Asia‑Pacific and Europe planned for 2025.
• Arkema acquires Polytec PT for battery and electronics adhesives: completed its acquisition of Germany’s Polytec PT, which generated €15 million in annual sales in thermal interface and electronics adhesives. The deal is projected to boost Bostik’s high-value battery and electronics revenues to €50 million within five years.
• B. Fuller launches Swift®melt 1515‑I for medical tape in IMEA: introduced Swift®melt 1515‑I, a biocompatible adhesive suited for high temperature and humidity conditions in India, Middle East, and Africa. It complies with ISO 10993‑5, was custom-developed in Pune, and aligns with a global medical tape market projected to reach USD 8.59 billion by 2026, including USD 850 million in India.
• Dow sells packaging laminating adhesives to Arkema: struck a deal to sell its flexible and solvent-based packaging laminating adhesives business—with five plants across Italy, the US, and Mexico—to Arkema for USD 150 million, a ten‑times forecast 2024 EBITDA valuation.

Report Coverage of Adhesive & Sealant Market

The global adhesive and sealant market report provides an extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of industry dynamics, covering market volume, value, product innovations, and strategic trends. It presents a detailed breakdown of the market across five primary types: water-based, solvent-based, hot-melt, reactive, and specialty adhesives and sealants. In 2023, water-based adhesives accounted for 8.3 million metric tonnes, representing 45% of global adhesive volume, while solvent-based adhesives contributed 3.9 million metric tonnes. Hot-melt adhesives reached 5.5 million metric tonnes globally, and reactive systems captured a combined 40% share of sealant volume, with niche bio-based adhesives surpassing 1.5 million metric tonnes. The report also segments demand by key end-use industries, such as building and construction, automotive and transportation, consumer packaging, and other industrial applications. The construction sector alone consumed 2.3 million metric tonnes of adhesives and generated a USD 71.8 billion sealant market in 2023, while the automotive sector required approximately 1.2 million metric tonnes of adhesives. Packaging adhesives were particularly dominant, totaling 6.7 million metric tonnes in 2024. Other industrial sectors—ranging from aerospace and marine to footwear and electronics—also recorded significant adhesive and sealant consumption.

Geographically, the report provides a comprehensive regional analysis. North America posted USD 15.3 billion in market value with 430,000 metric tonnes of acrylic sealants consumed. Europe recorded 510,000 tonnes of acrylic sealants, with regulations curbing solvent VOCs driving reformulation trends. Asia-Pacific led the market, holding over 52% of global volume—approximately 40 million tonnes—with China, India, and Southeast Asia spearheading demand. Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa accounted for about USD 1.52 billion or 2% of global market volume. The report explores key drivers such as automotive adhesives replacing 15–20% of fasteners, growth in construction sealants valued at USD 30.5 billion, and packaging adhesives contributing USD 62.3 billion. Restraints include tightening VOC regulations, which impacted over 35% of solvent-based sealants, and raw material cost fluctuations between USD 2,500 and 3,200 per tonne. Opportunities lie in sustainable technologies, with USD 150 million in green R&D grants, private equity deals between USD 50–120 million, and hybrid adhesives valued at USD 12.5 billion. Finally, the report highlights notable product innovations such as advanced silicone adhesives, low-VOC hot-melt systems, bio-based epoxies, and conductive adhesives for EV batteries. M&A activity is also covered, with Arkema’s acquisition of Ashland and Dow’s sale of packaging plants among notable transactions. The scope spans data from 2019 through 2024, with future trends projected to 2028, offering an unmatched depth of coverage for market stakeholders.

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