Synthetic Rubber Gloves Market - Forecasts from 2020 to 2025

The synthetic rubber gloves market was valued at US$5.479 billion in 2019. Synthetic rubber gloves are those gloves that are latex-free but offer similar properties like latex gloves. Gloves are considered as an important part of the industry as these offer protection from a wide variety of hazards such as chemicals, and substances that may affect the skins of the workers working across the numerous industry verticals. The major factors that are driving the demand for synthetic rubber gloves include rising focus of the employers towards the safety of workers along with the growing adoption of these gloves by across the household sector for various applications such as cleaning and washing among others. In addition, the growing adoption of these gloves due to the rising number of cases with latex allergy is also one of the prime factors positively impacting market growth during the next five years. Also, according to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) latex allergy has become an important health concern for workers, especially in healthcare environments in the recent years. Synthetic gloves are made of latex-free materials like neoprene, nitrile that is also fairly stable in pricing and are also non-allergic. This, in turn, is inclining the companies across the various industry verticals to shift from rubber gloves to synthetic gloves.

Outbreak of COVID-19

The recent outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from its epicenter in Wuhan, China to across 215 countries worldwide is a major factor shaping the growth of synthetic rubber gloves market. The virus outbreak, which has already been declared a pandemic by the WHO, is difficult to contain which is evident from the exponential increase in the number of confirmed cases across the globe. According to the data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to it (as on 2:00 am CEST, May 5, 2020) stood at 3,525,116, with around 243,540 deaths reported. This has led to a rapid increase in the adoption of gloves across all the sectors around the globe and especially the healthcare sector. However, governments have already enforced strict social distancing and quarantine measures. Strict directives from governments pertaining to the use of face masks, gloves, and face shields are also in place since advisory from the World Health Organization lays significant emphasis on the use of these in order to lessen the chances of catching the infecting or spreading COVID-19. Also, according to the projections by the World Health Organization, around 76 million units of examination gloves are being required every month to meet the COVID-19 response. The rising initiatives by the governments of various countries in the form of reduction of tariffs, increased funds for the production of gloves coupled with the increased spending by key market players to boost the production of gloves is also bolstering the market growth during the coming years. For instance, in April 2020, Maryland’s governor announced US$1.6 million in grants to the companies situated in Maryland to meet the growing demand for PPE in response to COVID-19.

Growing incidence of latex allergy is significantly driving the market growth

Rising incidence of latex allergy among healthcare workers is the major driver of synthetic rubber gloves market. People across the globe are increasingly developing allergic reactions to certain proteins present in natural rubber latex that is used to make both medical and industrial gloves. The growing healthcare sector is projected to be the largest source of job creation in the coming years. The increasing global population is leading to mushrooming demand for healthcare services worldwide. According to the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs, the world population is projected to grow from 7.3 billion in 2015 to 8.5 billion in 2030. Furthermore, the growing geriatric population in countries like the U.S., Japan, and China is also driving the demand for home healthcare solutions and services. Healthcare workers are, thus, at the highest risk of latex exposure. According to the American Latex Allergy Association, 8-17% of healthcare workers in the U.S. are sensitized to natural rubber latex. Thus, all these factors are boosting the demand for synthetic rubber gloves, especially in developed economies. Moreover, a lack of standardized methods to measure allergy-causing latex proteins and FDA-approved materials for skin testing for latex allergy further supports the demand for synthetic gloves. These gloves are not only non-allergenic but are much stronger and provide puncture resistance, unlike latex gloves.

The synthetic rubber gloves market has been segmented on the basis of material, end-user industry, and geography. On the basis of material, the market has been classified into nitrile, neoprene, PVC, Butyl, and others. By the end-user industry, the market has been segmented into healthcare, food and beverage, chemical, electronics, automotive, and others. On the basis of geography, the classification of the synthetic rubber gloves market has been done on the basis of North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Competitive Insights

Prominent key market players in the synthetic rubber gloves market include Ansell Ltd., Rubberex, 3M, and Cardinal Health among others. These companies hold a noteworthy share in the market on account of their good brand image and product offerings.

Major players in the synthetic rubber gloves market have been covered along with their relative competitive position and strategies. The report also mentions recent deals and investments of different market players over the last two years.

Segmentation

By Material

• Nitrile
• Neoprene
• PVC
• Butyl
• Others

By End-User Industry

• Healthcare
• Food and Beverage
• Chemical
• Electronics
• Automotive
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Others
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• Israel
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• China
• Japan
• South Korea
• India
• Others