PUBLISHER: Grand View Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1631529
PUBLISHER: Grand View Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1631529
The Europe squalene market size is expected to reach USD 99.1 million in 2030 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2025 to 2030. Increasing usage of squalene in pharmaceutical products as an adjuvant for immune enhancement is one of the major factors driving the demand.
Squalene plays a vital role in certain additives, namely adjuvants that boost the immune response of the body through the active ingredients present in vaccines. In vaccines, it is used as an oil-in-water emulsion form, coupled with adjuvants and stimulants of the immune system. It plays the role of surfactant, thus increasing the response of the vaccines. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), a large number of COVID-19 vaccines were developed using squalene, which, in turn, has contributed to its demand growth in the short term.
Europe is the most attractive market for squalene, with France, Germany, and the U.K. accounting majority of the chemical's consumption. In the U.K., the olive oil-based squalene segment is growing at a lucrative rate owing to the growing demand from several end-use industries, such as personal care and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods.
The raw material sources for manufacturing squalene mainly include animal oils, plant oils, and synthetic materials. Animal oils are mainly extracted from the livers of a shark while major plant-based oils include amaranth, olive, and rice bran. The market is regulated by stringent laws related to deep-sea fishing, especially poaching, as many of these animals are on the verge of extinction.
Although plant-based and synthetic substitutes available in the market are expensive, difficult to extract, and have higher operational costs, there has been a consistent effort in the industry to bring down the cost of inputs, increase yield levels, and market plant-based squalene at competitive prices to its animal-derived counterparts.