Face Mask Global Market: Size, Growth, and Forecast

Overview

The face mask global market has experienced phenomenal growth in 2020. Many market research reports expect it to expand more rapidly in the upcoming periods.

History has shown that the spread of infectious respiratory diseases such as H5N1, H1N1, SARS virus fueled the need for face coverings among health workers, frontline employees, and even the general public. And now, history is repeating itself with the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to a recent report from ResearchAndMarkets.com – the world’s largest market research store, the face mask market size is projected to reach $ 2,455.4 million by 2027, at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2021 to 2027.

Face Mask Market Segmentation

By Material

• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyurethane
• Polyester
• Cotton

By Nature

• Reusable face masks
• Disposable face masks: surgical, respirator masks, pitta masks

By End-users

• Medical: used for healthcare workers, masks in hospitals, clinics
• Industrial & Institutional: used in factories, manufacturing
• Personal/Individual: fashion masks, branded masks, etc.

By Region & Major Countries

• North America
  • The U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
• Asia Pacific
  • India
  • China
  • Japan
  • South Korea
• Central & South America 
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
• Middle East & Africa
  • South Africa

By Distribution Channel

• Direct Distribution
• Indirect Distribution
• Wholesalers & Distributors
• Supermarkets & Hypermarkets
• Drug Stores
• Other Retail Stores
• Online platforms

Key Dynamics Impacting The Market

The Drivers

As a result of the COVID-19 impact, facial masks are the most important preventative at workplaces, schools, etc., along with hand sanitizer. More than that, people are gradually considering these healthcare products as essential accessories for their daily lives.

Many experts predicted that the virus outbreaks would continue during the near future, thus driving the mask market growth worldwide since most public places required masks.

Additionally, because of the increase in vehicle engines, travel, and industrial facility emissions, people realize they have to wear masks for protection against air pollution. 

Besides, people with chronic diseases, asthma, infectious disease, and dust-related allergies are the key consumer groups of face mask manufacturing. 

They are highly sensitive to high pollution air, which is no longer an unfamiliar scene in metropolitans, industrial cities, and agricultural lands, thus contributing a significant extent in market growth.

What’s more, new social media marketing campaigns also encourage the community to wear masks by promoting face coverings via social media platforms.

For example, Facebook has partnered with WHO to place free advertisements and reminders about wearing masks and learn more about COVID-19 infections through the CDC’s COVID-19 Information Center. These warnings appear on top of Facebook and Instagram new feeds.

The Restraint

The biggest restraint to the growth of the face mask industry is the unpredictable raw material costs. To make nose strips, ear loops, straps, and other non-woven masks, manufacturers need to buy raw materials, including oil and metal.

However, the prices for these materials fluctuate rapidly. The volatile commodity prices affect the companies’ cash flows and revenue contribution in that ecosystem immensely.

It adds up to the production cost of face masks, thus a major restraint to the scale of face mask global manufacturing.

Forecasting the Growth of Face Mask International Market

Opportunities

Based on mask market analysis, the COVID-19 pandemic positively affects the global demand for masks. The outbreak has resulted in an enormous rise in worldwide face mask production, following scientific research that advocated them as the key equipment against SARS-CoV-2.

Face mask manufacturers have sought significant growth opportunities in emerging economies and the largest markets such as India, China, Brazil, and South Africa.

These key countries are now facing “developed nations” problems: an increased aging population and overwhelming numbers of COVID-19 cases. 

Their per capita income is growing rapidly, as well as their soft powers, raising consumer awareness, and the need for a more advanced healthcare industry to meet the mentioned problems.

The COVID-19 crisis helped experts see the potential of some developing nations more accurately through the country’s anti-epidemic capabilities. A prime example is Vietnam. 

The nation’s success in curbing the surge of the novel coronavirus and raising awareness about COVID-19 in the society has brought considerable growth potential for Vietnamese mask manufacturers.

Dony Garment, one of the key players in Vietnam, is leading the grabbing of investment opportunities. It’s a subsidiary of a clothing manufacturer but has pivoted its activity to PPE production and exported its products globally to respond to the pandemic situation in 2020.

“Our masks are available to wholesalers and distributors anywhere in the world, especially those based in the US, the Middle East, and the EU market,” said Henry Pham, CEO of DONY Garment. 

“And with our high-quality, low-cost mask manufacturing process, we can offer those masks at a price point that ensures almost any business model can profit from selling them,” Pham emphasized.

Challenge

The major factors challenging face mask players are quality standards, especially for new participants in the face mask industry. Fashion cloth face masks are not discussed.

Mask usage is currently the fastest and most convenient way to protect people from virus transferring. Other products like surgical masks or protective masks (against dust and air pollution) must also comply with certain terms of material and pass many rounds of inspection to be qualified for domestic or export mask markets.

The most common ingredient for face mask production is PP (Polypropylene) – an oil-derived polymer. This compound is used to make PP electret melt-blown non-woven fabric. 

This specialized material requires high initial cost and resources, and heavy machinery, including hopper, extruder, and melt spinning mechanism.

Therefore, only a few companies with garment experience can meet these criteria. And DONY Garment is one of them.

Dony masks’ features

At the Ceremony of Offering Medical Materials to the United States, the company donated 100,000 antibacterial gauze masks worth more than VND 10.5 billion (~ USD 455,610 or EUR 382,121). 

Dony masks are the only available 3-layer reusable masks that can comply with many quality tests, overcoming various mask manufacturers that have signed up for the event. 

It’s also the final product that met the quality standards to be accepted for use in the U.S, various countries in Europe, Western Asia, and Africa.

Final Words 

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the face mask global market has many potentials to grow exponentially in the next 5-6 years, according to market reports.

The prominent players are those who can swiftly adopt market growth strategies, acknowledge the drivers and restraints of the product demand to seize business opportunities and overcome the challenges.