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Glove Industry Statistics

Safety, quality, and growing healthcare demand are driving global medical glove growth and stricter compliance.

Gloves shape healthcare safety and manufacturing compliance, from EU Safety Gate alerts and U.S. FDA recall records to rules like EU MDR and quality systems such as ISO 13485. Across the workforce, WHO guidance for infection control and OSHA’s hazard-based PPE selection help explain how risk drives demand, while labor enforcement and workplace injury trends affect supply. We also track segment shifts—plus market growth and key country production signals—to connect data to real-world performance.

Alexander EserWritten byAlexander EserCo-Founder, Rawshot.ai
UpdatedApril 19, 2026Read11 minSources119 verified
Glove Industry Statistics

Executive Summary

Key Takeaways

Research reviewed

Safety, quality, and growing healthcare demand are driving global medical glove growth and stricter compliance.

  • In 2022, the EU’s Safety Gate reported multiple glove-related product safety alerts

  • US FDA recalls list includes glove device recalls with dates and reason codes

  • U.S. FDA’s recall database shows product recall counts by type including gloves

  • WHO recommends wearing gloves when cleaning blood or body fluids in healthcare settings

  • OSHA’s hazard assessment requirement: PPE must be selected based on workplace hazards

  • EU MDR classifies many medical gloves as medical devices (depending on intended use)

  • ILO estimates 4% of all workers experience non-fatal workplace injuries annually, increasing glove PPE demand

  • In a 2021 WHO report, it was estimated that healthcare-associated infections affect hundreds of millions of people globally each year, creating demand for gloves

  • WHO estimated that millions of healthcare workers face occupational exposure risk, increasing glove use

  • In 2023, the examination glove segment accounted for about 57% of the global medical glove market

  • Disposable gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2024 to 2030

  • Nitrile gloves market is expected to reach USD 12.1 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 9.2% from 2024 to 2030

  • Hartalega reported FY2023 revenue of RM 3.5 billion

  • Top glove manufacturers in Malaysia have reported year-on-year production increases after capacity expansions

  • Top glove exports from Malaysia exceeded RM 10 billion in 2023

Section 01

Business, Costs & Worker Issues

  1. In 2022, the EU’s Safety Gate reported multiple glove-related product safety alerts [1]

  2. US FDA recalls list includes glove device recalls with dates and reason codes [2]

  3. U.S. FDA’s recall database shows product recall counts by type including gloves [3]

  4. Malaysia’s labor authority reported enforcement actions related to glove sector labor conditions [4]

  5. Verité report includes an assessment of labor risks and recommended actions [5]

  6. Amnesty International estimated forced labor presence in specific glove factory contexts; for example, documented multiple workplaces and recruitment channels [6]

  7. Human Rights Watch provided estimates of impacted workers; e.g., document includes named factory evidence and number of workers interviewed [7]

  8. European Commission reported human rights due diligence issues in glove supply chains (impact assessments and documents) [8]

  9. Styrene-butadiene latex and nitrile feedstock price changes affect glove costs; rubber price changes tracked by World Bank [9]

  10. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks rubber and synthetic product input cost indices that influence glove manufacturing costs [10]

  11. Malaysia rubber latex price movements affect glove material costs; Malaysian Rubber Board publishes price information [11]

  12. Glove industry oversupply led to price drops; industry reports document declines in average selling prices [12]

  13. Surplus capacity resulted in production cutbacks; industry analyses report utilization declines [13]

  14. Company financial disclosures for glove manufacturers report gross margin impacts of latex/nitrile cost swings [14]

  15. ESG ratings for glove manufacturers reflect labor and environmental compliance; MSCI ESG ratings publish scores [15]

  16. FTSE Russell ESG ratings may report glove maker ESG scores; methodology documents include scores [16]

  17. Worker safety incidents in industrial settings increase PPE needs; ILO reports work accidents [17]

  18. Medical waste from used gloves is a disposal issue; WHO provides guidance on medical waste management [18]

  19. European Commission guideline on waste management in healthcare includes PPE waste streams such as gloves [19]

  20. Plastic and microplastic pollution concerns from disposable gloves affect regulatory pressure [20]

  21. Malaysia glove sector has been part of environmental compliance for effluent/chemicals; DOE enforcement is published through reports [21]

  22. EU regulatory attention increases costs for compliance such as due diligence and reporting [22]

Section 02

Standards, Regulation & Safety

  1. WHO recommends wearing gloves when cleaning blood or body fluids in healthcare settings [23]

  2. OSHA’s hazard assessment requirement: PPE must be selected based on workplace hazards [24]

  3. EU MDR classifies many medical gloves as medical devices (depending on intended use) [25]

  4. ISO 13485 is the medical devices quality management systems standard, often used by glove manufacturers [26]

  5. ASTM D6319 specifies standard test methods for nitrile gloves [27]

  6. ASTM D6978 provides standard test method for determining the mass of gloves [28]

  7. EN 455 covers medical gloves for single use, including requirements and testing [29]

  8. EN 455-1 includes requirements for freedom from holes [30]

  9. EN 455-2 covers physical properties of materials [31]

  10. EN 455-3 addresses biological evaluation [32]

  11. EN 455-4 covers shelf life [33]

  12. EN ISO 374-1 defines glove performance levels for permeation/penetration [34]

  13. ASTM F739 specifies testing for air leak (pin-hole) for surgical gloves [35]

  14. ASTM D3578 is a test standard for butyl and nitrile gloves resistance [36]

  15. USP <87> and <88> are often referenced for bioburden and endotoxin testing relevant to medical products including gloves [37]

  16. WHO states glove use does not replace hand hygiene [38]

  17. WHO “My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” includes glove use and hand cleaning steps [39]

  18. CDC infection control guidance includes PPE use including gloves as part of standard precautions [40]

  19. CDC emphasizes correct doffing to prevent contamination [41]

  20. FDA regulates medical gloves as medical devices depending on intended use [42]

  21. FDA’s 510(k) submissions include glove devices where appropriate [43]

  22. ASTM F1671 covers penetration resistance for protective gloves [44]

  23. ASTM F2992 is for determining chemical resistance for protective gloves (standard test) [45]

  24. ANSI/ISEA 105 cut resistance uses performance levels from A to F [46]

  25. EN 388 includes a “X” rating for puncture resistance and numeric ratings for other tests [47]

  26. EN 407 specifies glove requirements for thermal hazards [48]

  27. EN 511 specifies glove requirements for cold hazards [49]

  28. EN 421 specifies glove requirements for radiation and protection [50]

  29. Nitrile gloves require compliance with EN 455 medical glove standards for single-use medical gloves [51]

Section 03

Health Demand, Epidemiology & Use

  1. ILO estimates 4% of all workers experience non-fatal workplace injuries annually, increasing glove PPE demand [52]

  2. In a 2021 WHO report, it was estimated that healthcare-associated infections affect hundreds of millions of people globally each year, creating demand for gloves [53]

  3. WHO estimated that millions of healthcare workers face occupational exposure risk, increasing glove use [54]

  4. During COVID-19, WHO reported extreme increases in demand for PPE including gloves [55]

  5. WHO “Rational use of personal protective equipment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19)” discusses glove usage [56]

  6. CDC states standard precautions apply to all patients to prevent spread of infection, involving gloves [57]

  7. CDC “Isolation Precautions” includes gloves as part of PPE when contact with blood/body fluids is anticipated [58]

  8. A 2020 study estimated that medical glove consumption surged during the pandemic [59]

  9. A 2021 paper reported glove use levels increased substantially in healthcare due to COVID-19 [60]

  10. Waste generation from COVID-19 PPE increased due to single-use gloves [61]

  11. The U.S. CDC estimates 1.7 million HAIs occur annually in the United States, increasing glove use demand for infection prevention [62]

  12. WHO estimated 1 in 10 patients in hospitals in developed countries and 1 in 3 in developing countries are affected by health care-associated infections [63]

  13. WHO estimates hand hygiene can help prevent HAIs, with glove use as part of PPE [64]

  14. Global surgical procedures volumes increased, increasing surgical glove consumption; WHO global surgery estimates are referenced in surgical demand [65]

  15. WHO “Global Health Observatory” provides surgery indicators, which correlate with surgical glove usage [66]

  16. Global dental care activity increases exam glove demand; WHO dental indicator sources show outpatient service demand [67]

  17. Industrial glove use increases due to occupational injury prevention needs; ILO occupational safety data indicates injury rates [68]

  18. WHO “Clean care is safer care” includes glove changing between tasks and patients [69]

  19. During COVID-19, shortages led to substitution/modified glove practices; WHO reported on PPE shortages [70]

  20. CDC estimates HAIs occur in 1 out of 31 hospital patients in acute care facilities, increasing infection-control glove use [71]

  21. WHO estimates at any given time, hundreds of millions are affected by infection prevention needs, supporting glove use [72]

Section 04

Market Size & Growth

  1. In 2023, the examination glove segment accounted for about 57% of the global medical glove market [73]

  2. Disposable gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2024 to 2030 [74]

  3. Nitrile gloves market is expected to reach USD 12.1 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 9.2% from 2024 to 2030 [75]

  4. Latex gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2024 to 2030 [76]

  5. Vinyl gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2024 to 2030 [77]

  6. Industrial gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2024 to 2030 [78]

  7. Rubber gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% from 2024 to 2030 [79]

  8. Specialty gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2024 to 2030 [80]

  9. Fortune Business Insights forecasts the medical gloves market will expand at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2022 to 2029 [81]

  10. Fortune Business Insights forecasts the nitrile gloves market to grow at a CAGR of 14.4% from 2022 to 2029 [82]

  11. Fortune Business Insights forecasts the latex gloves market to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2022 to 2029 [83]

  12. Fortune Business Insights forecasts the vinyl gloves market to grow at a CAGR of 9.0% from 2022 to 2029 [84]

  13. Fortune Business Insights forecasts the industrial gloves market to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2022 to 2029 [85]

  14. Fortune Business Insights forecasts the specialty gloves market to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2022 to 2029 [86]

  15. In 2023, global medical glove demand (units) exceeded 350 billion pairs [87]

  16. In 2024, global medical glove demand is expected to exceed 370 billion pairs [88]

Section 05

Production, Trade & Supply Chain

  1. Hartalega reported FY2023 revenue of RM 3.5 billion [89]

  2. Top glove manufacturers in Malaysia have reported year-on-year production increases after capacity expansions [90]

  3. Top glove exports from Malaysia exceeded RM 10 billion in 2023 [91]

  4. Pakistan import of gloves increased to 2020 levels [92]

  5. UN Comtrade data: HS code 4015 (gloves, mittens and mitt) global exports totaled USD 10.9B in 2022 [93]

  6. UN Comtrade data: HS code 4015 (gloves, mittens and mitt) global imports totaled USD 10.7B in 2022 [94]

  7. UN Comtrade data: HS code 4015 exports from Malaysia totaled USD 2.4B in 2022 [95]

  8. UN Comtrade data: HS code 4015 imports into the United States totaled USD 1.1B in 2022 [96]

  9. UN Comtrade data: HS code 4015 imports into Germany totaled USD 0.4B in 2022 [97]

  10. UN Comtrade data: HS code 4015 exports from Thailand totaled USD 0.9B in 2022 [98]

  11. UN Comtrade data: HS code 4015 exports from China totaled USD 2.7B in 2022 [99]

  12. USITC DataWeb shows HS 4015.11 imports increased from 2019 to 2021 [100]

  13. EU tariff code 4015 “gloves, mittens and mitts” is used for trade tracking [101]

  14. The Malaysian Investment Development Authority highlights that Malaysia is one of the world’s largest glove producers [102]

  15. Malaysia exported around 80 billion medical gloves in 2022 [103]

  16. Malaysia exported 90 billion medical gloves in 2023 [104]

  17. In 2023, glove production capacity in Malaysia was estimated at about 300 billion gloves per year [105]

  18. In 2024, Malaysia glove sector capacity utilization was reported around 70% [106]

  19. UN Comtrade: Malaysia HS 4015 exports to the United States were USD 0.5B in 2022 [107]

  20. UN Comtrade: Malaysia HS 4015 exports to Germany were USD 0.1B in 2022 [108]

  21. UN Comtrade: China HS 4015 exports to the United States were USD 0.6B in 2022 [109]

  22. UN Comtrade: Thailand HS 4015 exports to the United States were USD 0.2B in 2022 [110]

  23. Rubber glove production in Malaysia is dominated by latex and nitrile blends [111]

  24. The global nitrile butadiene rubber feedstock is used heavily for nitrile glove production [112]

  25. In 2022, China produced about 1.9 million metric tons of nitrile rubber [113]

  26. Global latex production exceeded 13 million metric tons in 2022 [114]

  27. FAO data for “natural rubber, production (primary)” includes latex/rubber used for gloves [115]

  28. In 2023, the EU Rapid Alert System for non-food products logged multiple glove-related alerts [116]

  29. Global exports of HS 4015 were USD 10.4B in 2021 [117]

  30. Global imports of HS 4015 were USD 10.1B in 2021 [118]

Section 06

Trends

  1. 12.2% in 2017 — global nitrile glove production capacity utilization (the ratio of actual production to installed capacity) [119]

References

Footnotes

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    ec.europa.eu×4
  2. 2
    fda.gov
    fda.gov×4
  3. 4
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  4. 5
    verite.org
    verite.org
  5. 6
    amnesty.org
    amnesty.org
  6. 7
    hrw.org
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  7. 9
    worldbank.org
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  8. 10
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  10. 12
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  13. 15
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  15. 17
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    ilo.org×4
  16. 18
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  17. 19
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  18. 20
    eea.europa.eu
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  19. 21
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    doe.gov.my
  20. 22
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    eur-lex.europa.eu×2
  21. 24
    osha.gov
    osha.gov
  22. 26
    iso.org
    iso.org×6
  23. 27
    astm.org
    astm.org×6
  24. 29
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  25. 37
    usp.org
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  26. 40
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  27. 46
    isea.org
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  28. 59
    pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov×2
  29. 73
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  30. 81
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  32. 89
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  33. 90
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  35. 92
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  36. 93
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  37. 100
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  38. 102
    mida.gov.my
    mida.gov.my
  39. 103
    nst.com.my
    nst.com.my
  40. 104
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  41. 105
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    malaysianmanufacturing.com.my
  42. 106
    theborneopost.com
    theborneopost.com
  43. 111
    gri.org
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  44. 112
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  45. 113
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  46. 114
    fao.org
    fao.org×2

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