Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (C8APG,C10APG,C12APG,Others (C6APG, C14APG, etc.)), By Application (Domestic Detergent,Cosmetics,Industrial Cleaning Agents,Plastics, Building Materials Additives,Pesticide Synergist Sgent,Others (Biochemical Engineering, Derivatives Development, etc.)), Regional Insights and Forecast to 2033

SKU ID : 14719045

No. of pages : 116

Last Updated : 06 July 2025

Base Year : 2024

Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market Overview

The Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market size was valued at USD 325.46million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 411.25million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 2.3% from 2025 to 2033.

In 2024, global production of Alkyl Polyglucosides reached approximately 93,120 metric tons, and is projected to grow further with expanding eco-friendly applications. APGs are derived from renewable raw materials like glucose and fatty alcohols, making them highly desirable across personal care, cleaning, agriculture, and industrial sectors. The personal care sector accounted for 43.3% of APG consumption in 2024. Domestic detergents represented around 30% of the market volume. Industrial cleaning agents held 20% share, while emerging applications such as plastics additives, agriculture synergists, and biochemical derivatives collectively contributed about 7%.

Asia-Pacific dominated global production with approximately 34.1% market share. North America followed with 24.6%, and Europe accounted for 22.3%. The Middle East & Africa region made up about 8% of global demand. Technological advances enabled production efficiency improvements by 12% compared to 2020 levels. Average APG manufacturing plants processed approximately 12,000 metric tons annually, and about 28 active global producers led manufacturing. The top 5 producers represented nearly 65% of the entire global APG market.

Key Findings

Driver: Rising demand for biodegradable, non-toxic surfactants in personal care and home care products.

Country/Region: Asia-Pacific holds 34.1% of total APG market share, led by China and India.

Segment: Personal care and cosmetics lead, representing 43.3% of global APG demand.

Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market Trends

The global APG market saw steady growth in production volumes, increasing from 87,200 metric tons in 2022 to approximately 93,120 metric tons in 2024. Demand has surged due to growing consumer preference for natural, biodegradable, and non-toxic ingredients in personal care and cleaning products. In 2024, the personal care segment utilized around 40,260 metric tons of APG, accounting for 43.3% of total consumption. Household detergent applications consumed approximately 27,930 metric tons, equivalent to 30% of the market. Industrial cleaning agents contributed 18,620 metric tons, while plastics, agricultural, and specialty applications consumed the remaining 6,310 metric tons.  The Asia-Pacific region produced approximately 31,750 metric tons of APG, North America 22,900 metric tons, Europe 20,800 metric tons, and the Middle East & Africa produced around 7,450 metric tons in 2024.

Technological advancements drove higher product performance, with 15% of global APG volumes now formulated with enhanced foaming, emulsifying, and degreasing properties. Production plant output efficiencies improved by 12% since 2020, driven by process optimization and automation. In the personal care industry, 68% of new facial cleansers and shampoo products launched in 2024 contained APG as a primary surfactant. Biodegradable surfactant regulations in Europe prompted a shift from conventional ethoxylates to APG in multiple industrial and household cleaning products, increasing APG replacement rates by 7% in 2024. North America saw a rise in green label certifications, with APG-based cleaning products growing by 18% in certified product lines compared to 2023.

Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Rising demand for biodegradable and non-toxic surfactants

The primary driver accelerating the growth of the Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) market is the surging global demand for biodegradable and non-toxic surfactants. In 2024, approximately 60% of newly launched personal care products incorporated natural surfactants, with APGs accounting for nearly 43.3% of these formulations. In the household cleaning sector, 53% of new products adopted APG-based surfactants, replacing synthetic alternatives like ethoxylates and sulfates. APGs exhibit full biodegradability within 28 days and demonstrate exceptionally low aquatic toxicity levels, making them highly preferred under strict environmental regulations in Europe, North America, and parts of Asia-Pacific. Growing regulatory frameworks across major regions, including the European Union's Ecolabel and North America’s Green Seal programs, have contributed directly to an estimated 18% increase in APG-based product certifications during 2024 alone. Consumer preference for mild, skin-friendly, sulfate-free formulations in cosmetics and personal care further propelled personal care APG consumption to approximately 40,260 metric tons in 2024.

RESTRAINT

Higher production costs compared to synthetic surfactants

A major restraint limiting APG adoption across lower-margin sectors remains the relatively higher production cost compared to conventional surfactants. In 2024, average APG manufacturing costs were approximately 20% higher than synthetic surfactants, largely due to the complex synthesis route involving glucose and fatty alcohol raw materials. Global price volatility in fatty alcohols caused feedstock prices to fluctuate by up to 15% year-over-year. This added pressure on profit margins for manufacturers, especially in cost-sensitive segments like bulk industrial cleaners and mid-tier detergent brands. Small- and medium-scale producers without vertically integrated raw material sourcing experienced even higher production cost exposure, limiting their competitiveness in the global market.

OPPORTUNITY

Growth in emerging markets and expanding applications

Emerging markets in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa present significant untapped growth opportunities for APG manufacturers. In 2024, emerging regions collectively accounted for approximately 25% of global APG demand, with projections suggesting they will exceed 35% share by 2030. In Asia-Pacific alone, rapid urbanization and rising disposable incomes drove 9% year-over-year growth in APG-based personal care consumption. In Latin America, private-label household cleaning brands incorporating APG surfactants grew by 22% compared to 2023. Growing awareness of sustainable product benefits, combined with regulatory shifts toward environmentally responsible consumer goods, opens substantial investment opportunities for APG manufacturers targeting these fast-developing regions.

CHALLENGE

Limited availability of renewable raw materials

A significant challenge for APG manufacturers lies in the availability and price volatility of renewable feedstocks such as glucose and fatty alcohols. In 2024, global supply chain disruptions and regional shortages increased raw material costs by approximately 15% for glucose and 12% for fatty alcohols. High-purity fatty alcohols used for C8 and C10 chain-length APG variants remain especially vulnerable to price fluctuations, particularly when dependent on palm kernel oil-based derivatives. Raw material constraints led to temporary production slowdowns for certain producers, limiting their ability to expand output even as market demand continued to grow. Vertical integration strategies and diversification into alternative bio-based feedstocks are increasingly critical for mitigating these supply chain risks.

Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market Segmentation

By Type

  • C8APG: Accounted for 20% (approx. 18,620 metric tons) of global production, widely used in industrial cleaners.
  • C10APG: Largest type at 35% (approx. 32,590 metric tons), dominant in personal care for its mild properties.
  • C12APG: Represented 25% (approx. 23,280 metric tons), widely applied in household detergents and dishwashing liquids.
  • Others (C6APG, C14APG, etc.): Accounted for 20% (approx. 18,620 metric tons), used in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and specialty applications.

By Application

  • Domestic Detergents: Consumed 30% (approx. 27,930 metric tons) of total production.
  • Cosmetics: Held 25% (approx. 23,280 metric tons), heavily used in facial cleansers, shampoos, and skincare.
  • Industrial Cleaning Agents: Utilized 20% (approx. 18,620 metric tons) in degreasers and institutional cleaners.
  • Plastics & Building Materials: Accounted for 10% (approx. 9,312 metric tons) improving polymer processing.
  • Pesticide Synergist Agent: Consumed 8% (approx. 7,450 metric tons) enhancing agricultural spray efficacy.
  • Others (Biochemical Engineering, Pharma, R&D): Accounted for 7% (approx. 6,300 metric tons).

Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market Regional Outlook

  • North America

In North America, the total APG consumption reached approximately 22,900 metric tons in 2024. The United States accounted for nearly 19,800 metric tons, while Canada and Mexico combined consumed around 3,100 metric tons. Personal care applications led the market with 9,800 metric tons, followed by domestic detergents at 7,100 metric tons, and industrial cleaning agents at 4,200 metric tons. Green label certifications expanded rapidly, with 18% year-over-year growth in certified APG-based cleaning products. Major investments in North America focused on green surfactant production upgrades, accounting for 12% of new capital expenditure in 2024.

  • Europe

In Europe, APG consumption totaled approximately 20,800 metric tons in 2024. Germany led regional demand with 7,300 metric tons, followed by France at 4,800 metric tons, and the United Kingdom with 3,900 metric tons. Personal care products consumed around 8,500 metric tons, while domestic detergents and industrial cleaning applications accounted for 7,100 metric tons and 3,100 metric tons, respectively. Regulatory pressure from the European Green Deal spurred a 7% replacement rate of traditional surfactants with APG, particularly in eco-certified household care formulations. European producers invested heavily in renewable sourcing initiatives, targeting full raw material traceability for 25% of APG production by 2025.

  • Asia-Pacific

In Asia-Pacific, total APG consumption reached 31,750 metric tons in 2024, the largest regional share at 34.1% of global demand. China consumed approximately 18,500 metric tons, while India accounted for 7,900 metric tons, and the rest of Asia-Pacific combined consumed 5,350 metric tons. Personal care dominated with 12,400 metric tons, domestic detergents accounted for 9,100 metric tons, and industrial applications reached 6,100 metric tons. Asia-Pacific also led global capacity expansion, contributing 40% of newly commissioned APG production plants. Export volumes from Asia-Pacific increased by 14% year-over-year, with rising demand in Europe, North America, and emerging markets.

  • Middle East & Africa

In the Middle East & Africa, total APG consumption stood at 7,450 metric tons in 2024. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries consumed approximately 4,200 metric tons, while Africa accounted for 3,250 metric tons. Domestic detergents represented 3,100 metric tons, personal care accounted for 2,200 metric tons, and agriculture-based applications consumed around 1,100 metric tons. The region's APG demand increased by 9% year-over-year, driven by urbanization and the growing adoption of biodegradable formulations in household cleaning and agricultural sectors.

List Of Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Companies

  • BASF
  • Shanghai Fine Chemical
  • Dow
  • Yangzhou Chenhua
  • Akzo Nobel
  • Seppic
  • Kao
  • Yixing Jinlan Chemical
  • CRODA
  • Fenchem
  • LG Household & Health Care

BASF: Produced approximately 22,400 metric tons, holding nearly 24% of global production share.

Dow: Produced approximately 19,600 metric tons, representing around 21% of global APG output.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

The Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) market presents significant investment opportunities across production capacity expansion, technological innovation, application diversification, and sustainability initiatives. Between 2023 and 2024, global production capacity for APGs increased by approximately 14,000 metric tons, representing a 15% rise in total manufacturing volume, which reached 93,120 metric tons in 2024. Asia-Pacific accounted for 40% of this capacity expansion, with leading producers in China and India commissioning 6 new production facilities during this period, each averaging 2,200 metric tons of additional annual output. In North America, BASF announced investments to increase capacity by 4,400 metric tons, raising its total production to approximately 22,400 metric tons by the end of 2024. In Europe, Dow expanded its renewable-sourced APG capacity by 3,200 metric tons, supporting the regional demand surge for sulfate-free personal care formulations and biodegradable home care products. The European Green Deal regulations led to a 7% increase in APG replacement rates for conventional ethoxylates across the EU cleaning and personal care sectors during 2024. R&D investments grew substantially. In 2024, approximately 5% of total global APG revenues were allocated to research and development, focusing on improving product purity, formulation stability, and cost-efficient synthesis methods. BASF and Dow collectively filed 11 new patents related to APG process optimization and functional derivatives within the year.

Emerging markets present strong growth prospects. In 2024, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East collectively accounted for 8,000 metric tons of new APG consumption. These regions are forecasted to contribute an additional 9,000 metric tons of annual demand by 2027, representing key targets for new manufacturing investments. Private label home care brands in Latin America expanded APG-based product offerings by 22%, driving localized manufacturing interest. Sustainability-driven investment opportunities continue to expand. In 2024, 18% of global APG production was certified under environmental compliance programs such as Ecocert and COSMOS. Investments in green certification-compliant manufacturing processes grew by 12% in North America alone, reflecting increasing retailer demand for certified biodegradable formulations. Pharmaceutical and agricultural applications represent high-growth investment frontiers. In 2024, approximately 600 metric tons of APG were utilized as pharmaceutical excipients, while 700 metric tons were incorporated into pesticide synergist agents. These specialty applications represent lucrative opportunities for manufacturers aiming to diversify their APG portfolios. Logistics and feedstock supply chain optimization remain critical investment areas. Fluctuations in glucose and fatty alcohol prices impacted APG raw material costs by 15% in 2024. Investing in upstream vertical integration, renewable sourcing, and contract farming partnerships for sugar-based feedstocks offers manufacturers long-term cost control and production stability.

Overall, the APG market offers well-defined and quantifiable opportunities across geographic expansion, capacity scaling, downstream application development, regulatory compliance investments, and upstream raw material security. These multiple growth levers make the APG market highly attractive for sustained long-term capital allocation.

New Product Development

In 2023 and 2024, the Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) market saw continuous innovation in product development, driven by consumer demand for sustainable, efficient, and multifunctional surfactants. Major companies launched multiple new APG-based products across personal care, industrial, pharmaceutical, and agricultural applications. In the personal care sector, 14 new APG-enriched cosmetic formulations were launched globally in 2024. These included facial cleansers, shampoos, and body washes containing C10APG and C12APG as primary surfactants. Approximately 9,800 metric tons of APG were directed to these newly introduced cosmetic formulations in 2024 alone. The launch of sulfate-free shampoo lines in Europe incorporated 3,600 metric tons of C10APG, emphasizing its mild cleansing and skin compatibility attributes.

In industrial cleaning, 6 major APG-based degreaser products were introduced in 2024, using blends of C8APG and C10APG for heavy-duty cleaning performance. These new industrial products utilized approximately 2,800 metric tons of APG in 2024. The formulations demonstrated superior performance in removing oils and particulate contamination from commercial equipment and machinery, while maintaining low aquatic toxicity and complete biodegradability within 28 days. In the pharmaceutical sector, APG’s multifunctionality drove the development of 10 new pharmaceutical-grade excipient products. These included controlled-release drug delivery systems utilizing C10APG derivatives to enhance solubility and stability of active ingredients. Approximately 600 metric tons of highly purified APG were consumed in pharmaceutical production in 2024, marking a 12% year-over-year increase compared to 2023. In agricultural applications, manufacturers developed 2 new pesticide synergist blends integrating APGs with other biodegradable surfactants. These blends consumed approximately 700 metric tons of APG in 2024 and demonstrated improved pesticide adhesion and dispersion on plant surfaces, improving pesticide efficacy by 15% compared to conventional formulations.

Dow introduced a concentrated C10APG variant targeting low-water formulations in cosmetics, which reduced dosage volumes by 18%, contributing an additional 1,800 metric tons of new production in 2024. BASF launched a high-performance APG blend targeting premium sulfate-free facial cleansers, contributing 2,200 metric tons to its product portfolio expansion. In plastics and building materials, APG-modified processing aids were incorporated into 3 new polymer stabilization lines, utilizing approximately 1,000 metric tons of APG to improve dispersion and stability in PVC and polymeric composites. hese product developments reflect the APG market's continuous diversification and technical advancement across multiple industries. The innovations demonstrate measurable increases in production volumes, consumption rates, technical capabilities, and expanded commercial applications for APG worldwide.

Five Recent Developments

  • BASF expanded APG capacity by 20% (approx. 4,400 metric tons) in 2023.
  • Croda launched C8/C10 APG blends targeting industrial degreasing, adding 3,500 metric tons new market volume.
  • Dow announced full renewable sourcing targets for APG by 2026.
  • Akzo Nobel raised R&D APG investments by 15% in 2024.
  • Seppic entered the APG market with cosmetic-grade offerings, adding 2,200 metric tons annual output.

Report Coverage of Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) Market

The Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) market report provides a comprehensive and quantitative evaluation of the industry, focusing on production volumes, type segmentation, application distribution, regional performance, company market shares, investment trends, product development, and recent advancements. In 2024, global APG production reached approximately 93,120 metric tons, increasing from 87,200 metric tons in 2022, showing continuous expansion in biodegradable surfactant adoption across key industries. Type segmentation remains clearly defined. C10APG led production with approximately 32,590 metric tons, representing 35 percent of total output. C8APG followed with 18,620 metric tons or 20 percent share, C12APG contributed 23,280 metric tons accounting for 25 percent, while specialty types such as C6APG and C14APG collectively produced 18,620 metric tons, making up the remaining 20 percent.

The report extensively covers application segmentation. Personal care and cosmetics led demand with approximately 40,260 metric tons, equal to 43.3 percent of total consumption. Domestic detergents accounted for 27,930 metric tons, or 30 percent, while industrial cleaning agents consumed 18,620 metric tons or 20 percent. Plastics and building material additives accounted for 9,312 metric tons, pesticide synergist agents utilized 7,450 metric tons, and other specialty applications, including pharmaceuticals and biochemical derivatives, consumed 6,300 metric tons. Regional analysis demonstrates the global spread of production and consumption. Asia-Pacific led with approximately 31,750 metric tons or 34.1 percent of global demand, North America consumed 22,900 metric tons or 24.6 percent, Europe followed with 20,800 metric tons or 22.3 percent, and Middle East & Africa contributed 7,450 metric tons, representing 8 percent of global consumption. Corporate profiles are assessed in terms of production capacity. BASF produced approximately 22,400 metric tons, holding around 24 percent market share, while Dow produced 19,600 metric tons, representing about 21 percent. The combined production capacity of the top five companies exceeded 60 percent of global output. Investment analysis covers ongoing plant expansions, technology upgrades, and green certification growth. Between 2023 and 2024, total capacity expanded by approximately 15 percent, adding 14,000 metric tons globally. Innovation efforts led to the launch of 14 new cosmetic products, 10 pharmaceutical-grade formulations, and 6 industrial cleaning solutions incorporating APG. Pesticide synergist developments contributed to an additional 700 metric tons of consumption. This report delivers a detailed, fully quantified view of the APG market landscape, highlighting numeric benchmarks in production growth, technological advancements, application expansion, regional shifts, corporate leadership, and emerging investment opportunities shaping the industry’s future.


Frequently Asked Questions



The global Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) market is expected to reach USD 411.25 Million by 2033.
The Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 2.3% by 2033.
BASF,Shanghai Fine Chemical,Dow,Yangzhou Chenhua,Akzo Nobel,Seppic,Kao,Yixing Jinlan Chemical,CRODA,Fenchem,LG Household & Health Care
In 2024, the Alkyl Polyglucosides (APG) market value stood at USD 325.46 Million.
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