APAC Nitrile Medical Gloves Market - Focused Insights 2023-2028

APAC NITRILE MEDICAL GLOVES MARKET SIZE

The APAC nitrile medical gloves market was valued at USD 1.74 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 3.17 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 10.51% during the forecast period. Increasing COVID-19 cases will increase the demand for PPE products like nitrile gloves. Globally, manufacturers of nitrile gloves are based in Southeast Asia. These Asian companies have subsidiaries in other countries. However, other countries are planning to reduce their dependency on other Asian countries.

There are countries like India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and other developing countries in APAC that have a high prevalence of infectious diseases. The prevalence of hospital-associated infections (HAIs) is also high in these countries. This demands countries to invest in better protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns, aprons, and more. Nitrile gloves are one of the medical gloves, that are largely used in healthcare settings after latex. The increasing prevalence of HAIs will increase the usage of nitrile gloves.

APAC NITRILE MEDICAL GLOVES MARKET DEFINITION

Nitrile medical gloves are one of the largely used PPE. It is made using a material called nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). Healthcare professionals largely use these for both surgeries and patient examinations. Nitrile gloves offer a safe alternative to latex and high resistance to many chemical and pharmaceutical products. This glove provides a high level of comfort to the users, particularly tear-resistant and as protection against various puncture injuries. These positive features increased their adoption rate over the other material-made medical gloves in the market.

APAC NITRILE MEDICAL GLOVES MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS

Introduction of Biodegradable Nitrile Gloves

There is an increasing demand for biodegradable nitrile medical gloves. Key vendors, such as Top Glove, launched biodegradable medical gloves. Many key players across the globe are looking to invest and build on the biodegradable nitrile gloves segment. These biodegradable gloves degrade within 365 days, and a few gloves degrade ten times faster than conventional nitrile gloves. European countries are largely focusing on environmental protection by shifting to eco-friendly products.

Rise of New Manufacturing Facilities in Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the hubs for medical glove manufacturing. The country has witnessed high demand for medical gloves from several countries during and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic players are thus investing more in manufacturing medical gloves. There are various incentives provided by the government, like a 0% tax rate for ten years and more. These are boosting manufacturing facilities in Malaysian countries, which will make the availability of gloves higher in the future.

Increasing Number of Surgeries

There is a constant increase in the number of surgeries performed. The increasing geriatric population will drive the demand for the number of surgeries performed in APAC. The high prevalence of cancer, infectious diseases, accidents, and sports injuries is increasing the number of surgeries performed in Asian countries.

APAC NITRILE MEDICAL GLOVES MARKET SEGMENT INSIGHTS

• By Category: The non-powdered segment holds the largest share of over 70% in the APAC nitrile medical gloves market. There is a shift toward the usage of non-powdered nitrile medical gloves across countries. The increasing prevalence of allergy to powdered gloves is driving non-powdered medical gloves. Vendors are innovating a variety of nitrile medical gloves that can completely replace powdered medical gloves, which are used in various applications like surgeries and examinations and can be worn for longer across multiple applications. Non-powdered medical gloves are being innovated to be thinner, more elastic, bore-proof, and tear-proof. In 2021, Top Glove stated that there was a gradual shift toward the usage of latex powder gloves during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a minimal increase in the volume of latex gloves. This is likely to have an impact on the nitrile gloves market.
• By End-User: The hospitals segment dominates the APAC nitrile medical gloves market share. The government has introduced various new healthcare settings in the market to increase accessibility. For instance, the number of primary healthcare settings has increased in rural areas of India. Increasing healthcare settings will drive the demand for medical gloves. Countries like China, India, and Australia are investing in better healthcare infrastructure. The number of hospitals in these developing economies is largely driving the consumption of medical gloves. The adoption of virtual consultations in countries like India and China is negatively impacting the market. These virtual consultations are revolutionizing the consultations by eliminating visits to the clinic. This reduces the usage of medical resources, including nitrile gloves. After COVID-19, the number of surgeries performed in Asia is increasing and will continue to increase over time. This will create a huge demand for medical gloves.
• By Applications: The surgical medical gloves segment shows the fastest-growing CAGR of 12.29% during the forecast period. Surgical medical gloves are regulated by healthcare bodies in each region. They are required to follow certain manufacturing standards that are mentioned by regulatory bodies in the respective countries. The APAC region has the highest population, and the number of surgeries performed in this region is increasing. Countries like India have introduced insurance for all, which has also increased the number of surgeries performed in APAC. These factors are driving the demand for surgical gloves.

APAC NITRILE MEDICAL GLOVES MARKET REGIONAL ANALYSIS

China dominates and holds the largest APAC nitrile medical gloves market share of over 27%. Healthcare in China is in a constant state of reform as the system evolves to meet the country’s unique burdens, as it rapidly became the world’s second-largest economy. The elderly demographic continues to increase in China, which is one of the major concerns for the country. Approximately 11% of the population is over the age of 65, which is around 154 million people. The increasing elderly population will drive the demand for healthcare resources, which includes medical gloves.

China was one of the major exporters of medical gloves to various countries. However, due to the increased domestic consumption of gloves, the country faced a shortage and was not able to fulfill the needs of other countries.

APAC NITRILE MEDICAL GLOVES MARKET VENDOR LANDSCAPE

The competitive scenario in the APAC nitrile medical gloves market is currently intensifying, with global players offering a diverse range of products. In terms of market share, a few major players are currently dominating the market. Top Glove, Ansell, Heartlega, and Kossan are some companies currently dominating the market. Major players are focusing on strategic acquisitions and collaboration agreements with emerging players to enter the nitrile gloves market and gain access to commercially launched products.