Liquid Packaging Market - Databook 2025 to 2034

The global liquid packaging market size was evaluated at USD 501.66 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow around USD 815.6 billion by 2034, registering a CAGR of 4.98% from 2025 to 2034.

Highlights of the Liquid Packaging Market

• Asia Pacific dominated the global market in 2024.
• North America is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate in the market during the forecast period.
• By packaging type, the rigid segment held a dominant presence in the market in 2024.
• By packaging type, the flexible segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the market during the forecast period of 2025 to 2034.
• By raw material, the plastics segment accounted for a considerable share of the market in 2024.
• By raw material, the paper segment is projected to experience the highest growth rate in the market between 2025 and 2034.
• By technique, the aseptic packaging segment led the market.
• By technique, the modified atmosphere packaging segment is set to experience the fastest rate of market growth from 2025 to 2034.
• By end-use, the food & beverage segment dominated the market.
• By end-use, the pharmaceuticals segment is projected to expand rapidly in the market in the coming years.

Industry Valuation and Growth Rate Projection

The steady growth of liquid packaging can be attributed to changing consumer trends, urbanization, and innovations in packaging materials. Traditional materials include glass, paper, metals, and plastics for packaging food and beverages. A significant impact on the market has arisen from the shift towards newer materials like aluminum films, which offer better barrier properties and are lightweight, providing enhanced protection and shelf life for liquid products.

With the increasing interest in maintaining the freshness and quality of products during storage and distribution, the market will demand more advanced solutions in liquid packaging. The cost-effectiveness of plastics and their functional versatility, such as microwavability, thermo-sealability, and adaptability to different shapes and sizes while maintaining transparency, outweighs the benefits of traditional materials. Once sealed, plastic packaging provides a barrier against moisture and microorganisms during long-distance travel, enabling longer product storage.

Accelerated urbanization drives the market, as more people migrate to urban centers, increasing the demand for packaged, ready-to-use liquid products. Urban lifestyles and better economic opportunities encourage greater consumption of convenient food and beverage formats. The liquid packaging sector continues to grow, supported by innovations in materials, changing consumption patterns, and rising demands for safe, durable, and effective packaging solutions that meet the needs of modern distribution and storage.

Liquid Packaging Market: Stats and Figures

• Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in India, announced a Rs. 350 crore investment in Madhya Pradesh to establish two manufacturing lines at its Rajgarh plant.
• The Indian food and beverage industry is one of the largest in the world, contributing 3% to the country’s GDP. It is projected to grow at 8.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.
• Food and beverage processing establishments employed 1.7 million workers in 2021 (about 15.4 percent of all U.S. manufacturing employment and just over 1.1 percent of all U.S. nonfarm employment).
• In 2022, measured media spending in the U.S. food, beverages, and candy sector amounted to 7.5 billion. Dollars, with restaurants accounting for another 9 billion. Together, these two segments’ investments in marketing accounted for about one-third of the expenditure of retail, the leading sector.

How AI Has Benefitted the Market

• AI is slowly changing smart packaging design by improving materials' usage, strength, and recyclability.
• It is possible to get design options generated by AI based on parameters and conditions to spare the time required for trial and error.
• AI is an essential part of quality control and defect detection, enhancing the accuracy and speed of checks.
• AI enables mass customization so companies can provide personalized packaging at scale.
• AI-based predictive maintenance systems monitor machine health and can indicate when failures might occur and the recommended actions related to maintenance.
• AI can bring sustainability through studying the environmental effects of materials and production processes.
• Modern smart robotics provides great mileage for performing actions such as sorting, assembling, and packaging in smart factories.

Industry Leader Announcements

• Ken Swanson, Liquibox President and Chief Executive Officer:

“We look forward to partnering closely with the team at SEE. This will be a new chapter for Liquibox – a chance to accelerate innovation and bring sustainable packaging solutions to more customers and geographies,”

• Randy Nebel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verso:

"With the support of our talented team, Verso has successfully streamlined our operations and reduced costs while strategically investing in projects to enhance our ability to support our customers. This transaction builds upon our considerable progress and better positions the combined company to invest in our North American manufacturing capability, provide high-quality paper products to customers, and accelerate growth."

Geographical Insights

The global liquid packaging market is experiencing significant growth, with APAC maintaining its position as the dominant region while North America emerges as the fastest-growing market.

Asia-Pacific

APAC dominated the market. Very supportive government initiatives and robust industrial growth dominate the Asia Pacific liquid packaging market, especially in the pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. Manufacturers looking for cost-optimized production would typically relocate their global production facilities to such a region, thus benefiting from its cost-effective labor and operational environment. More important now, however, is the regional economic viability of an enabling regulatory landscape that would encourage manufacturers to coax innovations and sustainability to diversify their offerings. Thus, the Asia Pacific remains the most prospective region for exploring long-term growth and investment in the liquid packaging market.

• SIG, a leading packaging solutions provider, has expanded
• Its technology center in Suzhou, China, with two new buildings, is increasing its
• total build-up area from 17,450 sqm to 21,860 sqm.

North America:

North America is expected to grow moderately due to the increasing consumer preference for sustainable and recyclable materials. Being the forerunner, the US market demand is primarily fueled by the food & beverage and healthcare sectors.

Growing environmental consciousness and regulatory support for eco-friendly alternatives encourage innovation in packaging technologies. By being an ardent crusader of quality and safety, North America is proudly emerging as one of the important regions contributing to the liquid packaging business on the global platform, though not on the manufacturing scale that compares with Asia Pacific.

• In 2020, Comar, a specialty packaging and dispensing product provider, expanded its US West Coast presence by constructing a custom packaging facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Europe:

Europe is also emerging as an increasingly important region in the liquid packaging market, in line with the regional environmental sustainability movement. The strict regulation of eco and non-recyclable standard materials is forcing different manufacturers to invest heavily in alternative packaging formats to mitigate their carbon footprint. That is indeed raging hot, with a terrific increase expected in innovations about biodegradable and paper-based solutions as consumer awareness increases in environmental issues. A mature market with strong regulatory backing on demand for greener solutions makes Europe one of the key regions defining the future of sustainable liquid packaging.

Recent Developments:

• AeroFlexx has partnered with Chemipack, a blending and filling company, to offer sustainable packaging technology, addressing the growing demand for innovative liquid packaging formats in Europe.
• GSK's $1 billion acquisition of IDRx aims to enhance its oncology pipeline, focusing on gastrointestinal stromal tumors, exemplifying a trend of strategic investments in oncology innovations.

Competitive Landscape

The liquid packaging market is highly competitive, with leading pharmaceutical companies such as Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd., Klabin Paper, The DOW Chemical Company, Smurfit Kappa Group, and Mondi PLC. The global liquid packaging market faces intense competition due to evolving consumer preferences, innovation, and product development, with brand managers focusing on global market share and differentiation.

The market is dominated by several packaging companies renowned for their significant contributions to sustainable packaging solutions. Based on recent data, the top three companies are:

• Company Name: Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
• Year of Incorporation: 1949
• Headquarters: Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan

In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. reported a total net sales of ¥1,167.3 billion.

• Company Name: Klabin Paper
• Year of Incorporation: 1899
• Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil

Klabin SA, a Brazilian paper producer, reported a 2022 revenue of $3.6 billion, a 10% decrease from the previous year. In 2024, their annual revenue was $3.34 billion. Klabin also experienced a net income decrease and a negative net profit margin in 2022. The company's net debt increased significantly in 2024.

• Company Name: International Paper Company
• Year of Incorporation: 1898
• Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee, United States

In 2024, International Paper reported revenue of $18.6 billion. The company's fiscal year ends on December 31st, and its net income was $557 million