Benzyl Alcohol Global Market Report 2025

The benzyl alcohol market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $3.36 billion in 2024 to $3.54 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to an increase in the shelf life of food products, increased utilization of benzyl alcohol in the synthesis of epoxy resins, growth in the demand from end-use industries, growth in the construction industry, and growth in the focus on natural products.

The benzyl alcohol market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $4.43 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand in the pharmaceutical industry, increasing demand for cosmetics and personal care products, rising demand for paints and coating, increasing the customer base for benzyl alcohol, and increasing demand from the food and beverage industry. Major trends in the forecast period include developing environmentally friendly products, technological advancements, product innovations, research and diagnostics, integration into food packaging, integration into personal care products, developing bio-based alternatives, and technological solutions for stability enhancement.

The forecast of 5.7% growth over the next five years reflects a modest reduction of 0.7% from the previous estimate for this market. This reduction is primarily due to the impact of tariffs between the US and other countries. This is likely to directly affect the US by limiting imports from France and China, increasing expenses for fragrances, disinfectants, and injectable medications. The effect will also be felt more widely due to reciprocal tariffs and the negative effect on the global economy and trade due to increased trade tensions and restrictions.

The growing demand for cosmetics and personal care products is anticipated to fuel the expansion of the benzyl alcohol market in the coming years. Cosmetics and personal care products encompass substances or preparations designed for application to the human body, including skin, hair, nails, lips, and the oral cavity. This rise in demand is attributed to factors such as the increasing emphasis on self-care, influencer marketing, advancements in formulation, and the preference for natural ingredients. Benzyl alcohol plays a vital role in personal care and cosmetics, ensuring safety, stability, and efficacy, while also providing skin conditioning and fragrance-enhancing properties that enhance the user experience. For example, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in September 2023, personal care products and services experienced a 12.3% increase in 2022 compared to 19.3% in 2021. Therefore, the growing demand for cosmetics and personal care products is a key driver of the benzyl alcohol market's growth.

The rising demand for processed food is poised to drive the expansion of the benzyl alcohol market in the future. Processed food refers to any food altered from its original form through various methods to improve its shelf life, flavor, convenience, or nutritional value. The demand for processed food is driven by evolving lifestyles, extended shelf life, advancements in food processing technologies, and convenient accessibility. Benzyl alcohol plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality, safety, and stability of processed foods, providing manufacturers with an effective means of preserving product freshness, flavor, and shelf life, while also ensuring compliance with food safety standards and meeting consumer expectations. For instance, according to the United States Department of Agriculture in 2023, US processed food exports amounted to $38.17 billion in total value, up from $34.19 billion in 2021. Therefore, the increasing demand for processed food is a significant driver of the benzyl alcohol market's growth.

In August 2024, Benntag, a Germany-based chemical manufacturing company, acquired Monarch Chemicals for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is aimed at strengthening Benntag’s position in the specialty chemicals distribution sector by integrating Monarch Chemicals’ extensive product portfolio and industry expertise. It will also expand Benntag’s reach into new markets, particularly in the pharmaceutical, personal care, and industrial sectors, while enhancing its ability to offer a broader range of chemical solutions to customers across various regions. Monarch Chemicals, a UK-based company, supplies chemicals, including benzyl alcohol.

Benzyl alcohol, a colorless liquid possessing a gentle, pleasing scent, finds wide application as a solvent, preservative, and fragrance component. It serves the purpose of preserving products for extended shelf life, dissolving other substances as a solvent, and enhancing product appeal as a fragrance additive.

Benzyl alcohol yields several main product categories, including industrial, food-grade, pharmaceutical-grade, and others. Industrial-grade benzyl alcohol, notably refined, serves as a solvent in diverse industrial contexts. Its applications span dielectric solvents, bacteriostatic preservatives, cleaning agents, epoxy resins, synthetic solvents, and various other uses, catering to a range of end-users such as the food and beverage industry, paints and coatings, pharmaceuticals, and more.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The escalating U.S. tariffs and rising trade tensions in spring 2025 are expected to significantly affect the chemicals sector, which is facing a disproportionate impact - particularly from tariffs on petrochemicals and intermediates, where affordable domestic alternatives are limited. Specialty chemical producers, who rely heavily on Chinese raw materials, are encountering production disruptions. Meanwhile, fertilizer manufacturers are seeing their profit margins squeezed due to tariffs on phosphate imports. In response, companies are increasing investments in R&D for bio-based alternatives, forming procurement alliances to strengthen purchasing power, and relocating production to tariff-neutral countries like Saudi Arabia.

The benzyl alcohol market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides benzyl alcohol market statistics, including benzyl alcohol industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a benzyl alcohol market share, detailed benzyl alcohol market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the benzyl alcohol industry. This benzyl alcohol research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

Major companies operating in the benzyl alcohol market are The Dow Chemical Company, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Honeywell Research Chemicals, Merck KGaA, Evonik Industries AG, LANXESS, Avantor Inc., Elan Chemical, Croda International plc, Ashland, Valtris Specialty Chemicals, Ineos Group Limited, Liaoning Kelong Fine Chemical Co. Ltd., Pharmco by Greenfield Global, Connect Chemicals, Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Wuhan Youji Industries Co. Ltd., Finar Limited, Tokyo Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Emerald Performance Materials, Richman Chemical Inc., Aims Oxygen Pvt Ltd., Shimmer Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Wuhan Biet Co. Ltd., Heranba Industries Ltd.

North America was the largest region in the benzyl alcohol market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the benzyl alcohol market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

The countries covered in the benzyl alcohol market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The benzyl alcohol market consists of sales of technical grade benzyl alcohol, fragrance grade benzyl alcohol, laboratory grade benzyl alcohol, cosmetic grade benzyl alcohol, and electronic grade benzyl alcohol. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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