Hydrogel Market (By Raw Material Type: Synthetic Hydrogels, Natural Hydrogels, and Hybrid Hydrogels; By Composition: Polyacrylate, Polyacrylamide, Silicone-modified Hydrogels, Agar-based, and Others; By Form: Amorphous Hydrogels and Semi Crystalline Hydrogels; By Product; By End User) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Regional Outlook, and Forecast 2023 – 2032

The global hydrogel market size was valued at USD 26 billion in 2022 and it is expected to be worth around USD 48.12 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.40% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032.

Access our Premium Real Time Data Intelligence Tool, Visit: Precedence Statistics

Key Takeaway

• In 2022, North America market has held revenue share of 41% in 2022.
• By raw material, the synthetic segment has accounted highest revenue share of 74% in 2022.
• By composition, the silicone-modified hydrogels segment has generated market 28% in 2022.
• By form, the semicrystalline segment has captured revenue share of 68% in 2022.
• By product, films & matrices has captured 37% revenue share in 2022.

Hydrogel Market Size in the U.S. 2023 To 2032

The U.S. hydrogel market size reached USD 5.15 billion in 2022 and it is predicted to hit around USD 9.53 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 6% between 2023 to 2032.

North America dominated the hydrogel market in 2022. This is attributed to the increased demand for hydrogels in biotechnology, tissue engineering, agriculture, medicine, and other fields. Due to rising demand for personal care, hygiene, and health care items such as baby diapers, sanitary pads, and paper towels in the developed countries in the North America region have seen substantial growth in the market.

Asia-Pacific, on the other hand, is expected to develop at the fastest rate during the forecast period. Due to increased per capita income and growing population, the Asia-Pacific region has experienced tremendous growth. The emerging nations of Asia-Pacific region are likely to drive the hydrogel market forward throughout the forecast period due to rising disposable income and technological advancements.

Growth Factors

• The hydrogels are a type of polymer with a hydrophilic structure that allows them to hold huge amounts of water in three dimensional networks. The widespread use of these products in a variety of environmental and industrial settings is seen as crucial. The natural hydrogels were gradually phased out in favor of synthetic hydrogels, which have a better water absorption capacity, a longer service life, and a wider range of chemical raw materials. The polyethylene glycol hydrogels are commonly employed in a variety of biomedical applications, including biomolecular release matrices and regenerative medicine structures.
• The hydrogels are employed in a variety of applications. This is due to their unique structures and compatibility with a variety of operating situations. The hydrogels’ flexibility, which is due to their water content, allows them to be used in a variety of environments ranging from industrial to biological, and the biocompatibility of the materials used to make them, as well as their chemical behavior in biological environments, which can be low in toxicity, broadens their applications to include medical sciences.
• In comparison to synthetic hydrogels, the edible polymer hydrogels have a number of desirable features. The hydrogel helps to improve recyclability, reduce pollution, and ensure long term viability. The biomedical applications, food industry, pharmaceutical, medication delivery, and environmental domains are some of the fields where edible polymer-based hydrogels are used on a large scale. During the projected period, the global hydrogel market will be driven by innovations and expanding uses of hydrogel.

Scope of the Hydrogel Market

During the projection period, the global hydrogel market is likely to see profitable prospects as a result of variables such as hydrogel’s capacity to minimize environmental contamination and provide sustainability. During the projection period, the global hydrogel market will be fueled by wide applicability of hydrogels in different industries. Furthermore, the hydrogel is employed in the pharmaceutical business to extend the shelf life of drugs. The evaporative cooling hydrogel packaging, which improves the physical stability of existing medicinal goods, is becoming more common in the pharmaceutical business. This is one of the main drivers of the global hydrogel market.

The hydrogel is also employed in the curing and treatment process. In usual healing processes, a wound dressing comprised of hydrogel gives moisture to the wound and aids in the repair of the epidermis, removal of extra dead tissue, and proliferation. Moreover, greater awareness of hydrogel formulations has prompted product focused research and development companies to develop new hydrogel products, and applications are projected to drive the global hydrogel market growth during the forecast period. The demand for hydrogels is expected to rise due to rising demand for ecofriendly goods to address issues such as environmental issues, sustainability, and biodegradability.

Raw Material Insights

The synthetic hydrogels segment dominated the hydrogel market in 2022. The synthetic hydrogels have a long service life, a high ability to absorb water, and high gel strength. The synthetic polymers, on the other hand, usually have well defined structures that may be altered to give degradability. The market for synthetic hydrogels is likely to be driven by the aforementioned factors. 

The natural hydrogels segment is fastest growing segment of the hydrogel market in 2022. The hyaluronic acid, collagen, fibrin, Matrigel, and natural hydrogens including alginate, chitosan, and skill fibers are all examples of the natural hydrogels. As components of the extracellular matrix in reality, they remain the most physiological hydrogels. The natural hydrogels have wide applications in the diverse sectors.

Form Insights

In 2022, the semi crystalline hydrogels segment dominated the hydrogel market. The hydrogel polymers that are superabsorbent are known as semi crystalline hydrogels. As a result, semi crystalline hydrogels have become popular in the wound dressing business for ulcers and surgical wounds.

The amorphous hydrogels segment, on the other hand, is predicted to develop at the quickest rate in the future years. The amorphous hydrogels are glycerin and water-based compounds that are generally used to hydrate wounds. These dressings aid in wound healing by keeping the site wet, encouraging regeneration and tissue formation, and facilitating oxidative exfoliation.

Product Insights

In 2022, the films & matrices segment dominated the hydrogel market. The hydrogel films serve as membranes or coatings in physiologically interfaced devices. The drug administration, wound healing, anti-adhesive membranes, cell culture, and soft tissue rebuilding are some of the biomedical applications for hydrogel films.

The hydrogel sheets segment, on the other hand, is predicted to develop at the quickest rate in the future years. The hydrogel sheets are prescribed for the treatment of minimally draining partial and full thickness wounds such as deep wounds, dermal ulcers, pressure ulcers, skin tears, minor burns, infected wounds, radiation dermatitis, donor sites, and wounds with slough or necrosis, as a primary dressing product.

Key Developments

• Contura and its Bulkamid injection, an incontinence hydrogel injection to treat stress urine incontinence, were acquired by Axonics Modulation Technologies Inc. in February 2021, increasing the company’s business and expanding its product line.

The hydrogels market is moderately fragmented with the presence of several companies. These market players are striving to gain higher market share by adopting different marketing strategies, such as new product launch, investments, partnerships, and mergers & acquisitions. The companies are also spending on the development of improved products. Moreover, they are also focusing on competitive pricing.

Some of the prominent players in the global hydrogel market include:

• Cardinal Health
• Momentive Performance Materials
• B. Braun Melsungen
• Derma Sciences
• Molnlycke Health Care
• Paul Hartmann
• Coloplast
• Johnson & Johnson
• Ocular Therapeutix
• Medline Industries

Segments Covered in the Report

By Raw Material Type

• Synthetic Hydrogels
• Natural Hydrogels
• Hybrid Hydrogels

By Composition

• Polyacrylate
• Polyacrylamide
• Silicone-modified Hydrogels
• Agar-based
• Others

By Form

• Amorphous Hydrogels
• Semi Crystalline Hydrogels

By Product

• Semi Crystalline Buttons
• Amorphous Gels
• Impregnated Gauze
• Films & Matrices
• Hydrogel Sheets

By End User

• Lenses
• Hygiene Products
• Wound Care
• Drug Delivery
• Tissue Engineering
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• U.S.
• Canada
• Europe
• U.K.
• Germany
• France
• Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• Latin America
• Brazil
• Rest of Latin America
• Middle East & Africa (MEA)
• GCC
• North Africa
• South Africa
• Rest of the Middle East & Africa