Non-woven fabric, also known as non-woven fabric or non-woven cloth.

It is a kind of fabric that processes raw materials such as polymer chips, short fibers or long filaments into a non-woven structure through nonwoven techniques such as needling, spunlacing, thermal bonding or chemical bonding.

The nonwoven fabric industry, as a "latecomer" in the textile industry, has achieved rapid development worldwide in recent years.

01

Analysis of the Current Development Status of the Nonwoven Fabric Industry

The market size continues to expand

In recent years, the market size of the non-woven fabric industry has continued to expand.

According to relevant data, the market size of nonwoven fabrics in China reached 128.525 billion yuan in 2023, with a year-on-year growth of 5.7%.

It is expected that the market size will exceed 140 billion yuan in 2025, with an average annual compound growth rate maintained at 5% to 6%.

This growth is mainly attributed to the continuous expansion of demand in downstream application fields such as medical and health care, household goods, and environmental protection materials.

2. The cluster effect of industries is obvious

From the perspective of regional structure, the East China and South China regions occupy the major market share, accounting for more than 60% of the national output.

This is mainly attributed to the industrial cluster effect and the concentration of downstream manufacturing industries in these regions.

Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, as the three major production core areas, together contribute 70% of the national output, forming a distinct regional advantage.

3. Wide range of applications

Non-woven fabric is widely used in multiple fields such as medical and health care, household goods, industrial materials, and packaging materials.

Among them, the medical and health care sector accounts for the largest proportion, reaching 35%. The household goods sector follows closely behind, accounting for 28%. The industrial materials sector accounts for 20%.

With the promotion of environmental protection policies, the application of degradable non-woven fabrics in packaging, agricultural covering materials and other fields has grown significantly, with an annual demand growth rate exceeding 10%.

02

Analysis of the Competitive Landscape in the Nonwoven Fabric Industry

According to the "2025-2030 China Nonwoven Fabric Industry Market Competition Pattern and Development Prospect Forecast Report" released by the CRI Industry Research Institute:

1. Low market concentration

At present, the market concentration of the non-woven fabric industry is relatively low.

The industry CR5(market share of the top five enterprises) is less than 20%, while the number of small and medium-sized enterprises accounts for over 85%. This indicates that there are a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the market, and the competition is extremely fierce.

In order to stand out in the fierce market competition, enterprises have adopted differentiated competition strategies one after another, such as technological upgrading and expanding high-end product lines.

2. Diversification of competitive strategies

Enterprises are adopting differentiated competition strategies one after another. For instance, Xinlong Holdings and Yanjiang Co., Ltd. have expanded their high-end product lines through technological upgrades, seizing the medical and environmental protection markets.

Meanwhile, international enterprises such as Berry Global and Freudenberg are also accelerating their investment in China, and the technological competition pressure faced by local enterprises is increasing day by day.

In addition, the trend of mergers and acquisitions integration is obvious. In 2024, the number of industry mergers and acquisitions cases increased by 30% year-on-year. Leading enterprises have enhanced their scale effects through horizontal integration.

3. International competition pressure has increased

As international enterprises accelerate their investment in China, the technological competition pressure faced by domestic enterprises is increasing day by day.

International enterprises, with their advanced technologies and mature management experience, have strong competitiveness in the Chinese market.

Local enterprises need to increase investment in technological innovation, brand building, market expansion and other aspects to enhance their own competitiveness.

03

Analysis of the Future Development Prospects of the Nonwoven Fabric Industry

With the continuous expansion of downstream application fields, it is expected that the market size will exceed 140 billion yuan in 2025, with an average annual compound growth rate maintained at 5% to 6%.

On the one hand, as people's demands for health, environmental protection, comfort and other aspects continue to rise, the application of non-woven fabrics in medical and health care, household goods and other fields will become more extensive.

On the other hand, with the continuous emergence of new fields, such as automotive lightweighting and building waterproofing and heat insulation materials, the application fields of non-woven fabrics will continue to expand.

With the continuous emergence and application of emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and biotechnology, the performance of non-woven fabrics will be further enhanced, and their application scope will also become more extensive.

For instance, the research and development of nanofibers and smart non-woven fabrics (such as temperature-sensing materials) is accelerating. It is estimated that the market size of related technologies will reach 20 billion yuan by 2030.

The application of these technologies will enhance the added value of non-woven fabric products and drive the industry towards high-end development.

With the enhancement of global environmental awareness and the deepening of the concept of sustainable development, degradable and recyclable non-woven fabric products will gradually become the new favorite in the market.

It is expected that by 2025, the market share of degradable non-woven fabric products will increase to 15%.

The government will increase its support for environmental protection policies and promote the development of the non-woven fabric industry towards a green direction.

Demand in Southeast Asia and the Middle East has grown significantly, with their export share rising to 25%.

With the advancement of national strategies such as the "Belt and Road Initiative", non-woven fabric enterprises will have more opportunities to export to the international market.

Especially, the growth in demand in Southeast Asia, Africa and other regions will provide a vast market space for domestic enterprises.

Enterprises need to seize opportunities, expand into international markets and enhance the international influence of their brands.

04

Summary of the Nonwoven Fabric Industry in 2025

As a "latecomer" in the textile industry, the non-woven fabric industry has broad prospects for development and huge market potential.

Driven by policy support, technological innovation and market demand, the nonwoven fabric industry will continue to maintain a growth trend in 2025.

However, enterprises also need to confront challenges such as intensified market competition and fluctuations in raw material prices, and enhance their competitiveness through technological innovation, improving service quality, and expanding market space.

In the future, the nonwoven fabric industry will move towards high-end, intelligent and green directions, injecting new vitality into the development of China's textile industry and environmental protection cause.