Water-soluble Polymer - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The Water-soluble Polymer Market size is estimated at USD 36.93 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 48.21 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 5.48% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the water-soluble polymer market negatively. However, the market is propelled after the pandemic owing to its surging application in the food and beverage industry.

Key Highlights

• The factors driving the market's growth are North America's growing shale gas industry and the rising water treatment industry.
• On the flip side, the fluctuating prices of raw materials will likely hamper the market growth during the forecast period.
• The increasing demand for bio-based acrylamide and its growing application in the pharmaceutical industry will likely provide numerous future opportunities for manufacturers.
• The Asia-Pacific region dominated the global market and is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Water-soluble Polymer Market Trends

The Water Treatment Industry is Expected to Dominate the Market

• Water treatment serves a wide range of purposes, which includes meeting requirements for agricultural, medical, household, pharmacological, chemical, and industrial applications.
• Flocculants promote the clumping of destabilized particles obtained after being treated with coagulants. The coagulants neutralize the charge on colloidal particles responsible for keeping them apart.
• Water-soluble polymer flocculants are important constituents of solid-liquid separation units for treating processaffected effluents. They are long-chain water-soluble polymers that separate nonsettling fine solids from aqueous suspensions.
• Water-soluble polymers are used in mineral processing, industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, oil sand tailings dewatering, paper making, and biotechnology.
• Asia-Pacific accounted for a major share of the water and wastewater treatment market due to the high demand from countries like China, India, and Japan. The water and wastewater sector in the region is one of the largest globally.
• Between 2021 and 2025, China intends to construct or upgrade 80,000 km of sewage collection pipeline networks and expand sewage treatment capacity by 20 million cubic meters/day. By 2025, China's industrial wastewater industry will reach around USD 19.4 billion. Moreover, China plans to invest USD 50 billion into several heavily polluting industries, including textile, printing, steel production, oil and gas extraction, coal mining, and pharmaceutical production, as part of its development strategy to transition to a cleaner and more sustainable economy.
• According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti of the Government of India, in FY 2022, the percentage of the rural population having access to safe and adequate drinking water within premises increased to 61.5% from 55.2% in FY2021. Moreover, in India, various companies, such as Suez, Abengoa, and SPML Infra, are investing in water treatment projects. The investment opportunities in the water industry are expected to increase to USD 130 billion by 2030.
• Based on the factors above, the water treatment industry is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

China is Expected to Dominate the Asia-Pacific Market

• Water treatment is one of China's largest application industries for water-soluble polymers. China's water treatment industry is consistently growing due to the government's focus on freshwater availability and water pollution (wastewater treatment).
• Under the 13th Five-year plan, the country spent more than CNY 559 billion (USD 82.6 billion) on its water treatment industry, about 0.75% of its total GDP. It increased the demand for water-soluble polymers in the country.
• Pharmaceuticals is another major end-user industry for water-soluble polymers in the country. Recently, Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturers have largely concentrated on producing basic chemicals, intermediates, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Hence, in a short period, China became the leading global supplier of APIs in terms of volume.
• In 2021, nearly CNY 301 billion (USD 44.5 billion) were invested in the Chinese pharmaceutical business, a decrease of 15.7% from the previous year. Additionally, over CNY 3.3 trillion (USD 487 billion) in revenue was earned by the Chinese pharmaceutical business in 2021, an increase of 20% from 2020.
• Recently, Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturers have focused on developing and producing finished pharmaceutical products to serve the local market. However, the pharmaceutical industry is poised for high growth during the forecast period, with the government's push for policy reforms in line with the Made in China 2025 industrial plan.
• Based on the aspects above, China is expected to dominate the Asia-Pacific region.

Water-soluble Polymer Industry Overview

The water-soluble polymer market is fragmented in nature, with the presence of many players accounting for a less share of the market. Some of the major players in the market studied (in no particular order) include SNF Group, Ashland, DuPont, CP Kelco US Inc., and Arkema Group, among others.

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