Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The global disposable gloves market size was valued at USD 10.2 billion in 2020
The disposable gloves market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2% from 2021 to 2028
The nitrile gloves segment accounted for over 69% of global revenue share in 2020
Asia Pacific held the largest revenue share of over 45% in 2020
Malaysia supplies about 60% of the world's rubber gloves
The global medical gloves market size was valued at USD 6.75 billion in 2020
The global medical gloves market is projected to reach USD 18.57 billion by 2028
The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.6% from 2021 to 2028
Examination gloves accounted for the largest share of over 71.6% in 2020
Latex gloves held about 41% market share in the global medical gloves market in 2020
95% of examination gloves are disposable in nature
The reusable gloves segment is expected to record significant growth with a CAGR of 5.2% from 2021 to 2028
North America dominated the medical gloves market in 2020 with revenue of over USD 2.0 billion
Cost Structure and Manufacturing
- Synthetic rubber prices rose by more than 30% in 2021 due to demand for nitrile gloves
- As per WHO, the cost of disposable gloves surged by 3-4 times at the peak of the pandemic
- The average cost per box of nitrile gloves reached USD 32 at pandemic peak
- Rejected glove batches average 5-6% failure rate in quality control
- Gloves account for about 22% of total PPE procurement budgets in hospitals
- The manufacturing defect rate in premium gloves is under 1.5%
- 70–90% of glove production cost is from raw materials like nitrile, latex, and PVC
Interpretation
In a world gripped by a pandemic, where a single defective glove could mean disaster, the soaring cost of synthetic rubber turned a simple box of nitrile gloves into a $32 symbol of strained supply chains, mounting hospital budgets, and the high price of protection.
Market Size and Growth
- The global disposable gloves market size was valued at USD 10.2 billion in 2020
- The disposable gloves market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2% from 2021 to 2028
- The global medical gloves market size was valued at USD 6.75 billion in 2020
- The global medical gloves market is projected to reach USD 18.57 billion by 2028
- The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.6% from 2021 to 2028
- The reusable gloves segment is expected to record significant growth with a CAGR of 5.2% from 2021 to 2028
- The industrial gloves market size was valued at USD 6.9 billion in 2021
- The industrial gloves market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2022 to 2030
- The construction sector segment held a share of 28.3% in the industrial gloves market in 2021
- Surgical gloves are expected to witness a CAGR of 10.4% during 2021–2028
- Top Glove Corporation alone had the capacity to produce 100 billion gloves annually as of 2020
- The demand for disposable gloves in the US surged by over 200% during the COVID-19 pandemic
- In 2020, over 85 billion gloves were used globally just for medical purposes
- Global demand for nitrile gloves is projected to reach 585 billion units by 2026
- Annual consumption of medical gloves in India is around 150 gloves per capita
- In developed countries, the average use is over 300 gloves per capita annually
- Approximately 300 billion gloves were used globally by healthcare workers in 2021
- Global latex production in 2021 was around 13.8 million tons
- Malaysia exported RM 54.8 billion worth of rubber gloves in 2020
- In 2020, Top Glove saw a 417% increase in net profit due to glove demand
- The biodegradable gloves market is expected to grow at 10.1% CAGR from 2021 to 2028
- Antimicrobial gloves represent a new segment growing at 15.2% CAGR
- Workers in the food industry use an estimated 100 billion disposable gloves annually
- Glove usage in laboratories adds up to over 50 billion gloves annually worldwide
- The healthcare industry accounts for over 74% of medical glove usage
- The agriculture sector uses around 1.5 billion pairs of gloves globally each year
- Cleanroom gloves are used in over 10,000 pharmaceutical and electronics facilities globally
Interpretation
In a world increasingly reliant on hygiene and safety, the glove industry has slipped into a golden era—where billions of hands, from surgeons to sandwich makers, are fueling a multi-billion-dollar, fast-growing market that's anything but hands-off.
Product Types and Materials
- The nitrile gloves segment accounted for over 69% of global revenue share in 2020
- Examination gloves accounted for the largest share of over 71.6% in 2020
- Latex gloves held about 41% market share in the global medical gloves market in 2020
- 95% of examination gloves are disposable in nature
- Non-powdered disposable gloves held more than 60% of market share in 2020
- Chemical and liquid protection gloves dominated the industrial gloves market with more than 35% share in 2021
- Reusable industrial gloves accounted for around 59% of the revenue share in 2021
- Synthetic materials accounted for over 60% of gloves used in U.S. healthcare facilities in 2020
- Nitrile rubber gloves are expected to dominate the global disposable glove market through 2030
- Nitrile gloves offer up to 3 times more puncture resistance than latex gloves
- About 20% of natural rubber production is used in gloves manufacturing
- Vinyl gloves account for around 10% of the global disposable glove market
- Latex allergies affect about 4.3% of the general population, increasing demand for nitrile gloves
- Vinyl gloves offer the least chemical resistance among glove types
- Electricians use arc-rated insulating gloves tested at up to 30,000V
- Typical medical glove thickness ranges from 0.08 mm to 0.12 mm
Interpretation
In a world where safety is worn on your hands, nitrile gloves have gripped the majority with puncture-proof confidence, examination gloves are everywhere but rarely reused, and latex—despite its stretch—is losing ground to synthetics that fend off both chemicals and allergies.
Regional Insights and Supply Chain
- Asia Pacific held the largest revenue share of over 45% in 2020
- Malaysia supplies about 60% of the world's rubber gloves
- North America dominated the medical gloves market in 2020 with revenue of over USD 2.0 billion
- Europe accounted for about 28% share of the global medical gloves market in 2020
- China’s disposable glove imports increased by 62% in 2020
- India imported around 1.5 billion medical gloves in 2020 alone
- The top 4 glove manufacturers in Malaysia (Top Glove, Hartalega, Kossan, Supermax) control more than 65% of global glove supply
- Global nitrile gloves shortage was estimated at 214 billion units in 2021
- The U.S. imports over 90% of its disposable gloves from foreign manufacturers
- The U.S. faced an estimated gloves shortage of 50 billion units during the pandemic
- 85% of glove manufacturers are located in Asia
Interpretation
In a world gripped by a pandemic, Asia’s glove makers—led by Malaysia’s mighty four—tightened their latex grip on a global market desperately reaching for protection, while Western powers realized too late that their safety was, quite literally, in someone else’s hands.
Sustainability and Regulatory Concerns
- The medical glove reuse rate is estimated under 5% in developed markets
- PPE waste from gloves is estimated to make up 26% of medical plastic waste during COVID-19
- OSHA regulations require gloves as PPE under Standard 1910.138
- FDA regulates examination gloves under 21 CFR 880.6250
- Reprocessed gloves are not authorized for use by FDA
- Double-gloving is recommended in high-risk surgical procedures
- Single-use glove litter increased by 900% in some urban areas in 2020
- Powdered gloves are being phased out due to regulations from FDA and EU MDR
- Recyclable glove initiatives are present in less than 5% of health systems worldwide
- Accelerators and allergens in glove compounds impact 7–12% of frequent users
Interpretation
In a world where nearly every medical glove is used once and trashed—contributing a quarter of COVID-era medical plastic waste—regulators mandate their use, prohibit their reuse, and barely recycle them, making gloves both a vital shield and a stubborn pollutant in the healthcare paradox.