Disposable Medical Gloves - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2024 - 2029

The disposable medical gloves market is projected to register a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period.

Key Highlights

• COVID-19 significantly impacted the disposable medical gloves market owing to its high demand for medical, diagnostic, and self-care purposes during the viral infection phase. The government encouraged the use of disposable gloves and masks worldwide to deal with people infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For instance, according to the study published in August 2021 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 11.3% of patients with COVID-19 in 314 United Kingdom hospitals became infected after hospital admission. Thus, to prevent such HAIs, the use of disposable medical gloves was highly recommended.
• Similarly, as per an article published by NCBI in March 2022, the use of single-use nitrile gloves has sharply increased since the Coronavirus outbreak in Australia. Therefore, the market has reported significant growth in the last few years. Currently, the market growth has slightly seized as the COVID cases declined. The market is expected to show stable growth in the forecast year.
• In addition, the rise in infectious disease instances and the increasing number of hospital/medical facilities are actively impacting the growth of the studied market.
• As reusable medical devices are used for multiple patients, there are chances of inadequate cleaning of the devices, which increases the risk of infection by many folds. For instance, a Food Drug and Administration (FDA) article updated in April 2022, reported that inadequate cleaning between patient uses can result in the retention of blood, tissue, and other biological debris (soil) in certain types of reusable medical devices, such as endoscopes. This debris can allow microbes to survive the subsequent disinfection or sterilization process, which may then lead to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Inadequate reprocessing can also result in other adverse patient outcomes, such as tissue irritation from residual reprocessing materials like chemical disinfectants. Hence, it is advisable to use disposable gloves in hospitals and clinics while using any medical device or during surgical procedures to reduce the risk of transmission of bacteria and viruses to patients, thereby propelling the utility of disposable medical gloves.
• Moreover, a research article published in BMC Public Health Journal in March 2021 stated that patients in ICUs are twice as likely to face HAIs than patients in the general wards. It also reported that the global prevalence of ICU-acquired infections (ICU-AIs) is around 51.4%, and the prevalence of this type of infection is estimated to be 9% to 37% in Europe and the USA. As per the research study, the overall rate of ICU-AIs was 96.61 per 1000 patients and 16.82 per 1000 patient days in Iran's hospitals in 2021. Thus, there is an increasing demand for disposable medical gloves to prevent the further spread of such hospital-acquired infections.
• The strategic initiatives by market players, such as partnerships, product launches, and expansions, are also contributing to the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, in February 2022, Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. launched the Kimtech Opal Nitrile Gloves, which provide guards against contamination by chemical splash and microorganism hazards. The gloves are efficient because they are free of natural rubber latex and vulcanizing agents, thereby reducing the risk of Type I and Type IV glove-associated skin reactions. Also, in April 2022, Unigloves launched a new biodegradable disposable nitrile gloves named BioTouch. Such launches are expected to augment the market growth during the forecast period.
• Therefore, owing to the aforementioned factors, such as rising HAIs leading to high demand for disposable medical gloves and expansion initiatives by market players for medical gloves manufacturing and supply, the studied market is anticipated to witness growth over the analysis period. However, the environmental impact associated with the disposal of these gloves is expected to restrain the market growth over the forecast period.

Disposable Medical Gloves Market Trends

The Disposable Surgical Medical Gloves Segment is Expected to Hold a Significant Share in the Disposable Medical Gloves Market Over The Forecast Period

• Disposable surgical medical gloves are a significant fraction used in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Surgical gloves are made of polyisoprene, polychloroprene, and polyvinyl chloride and are explicitly designed for the accuracy and sensitivity required by surgeons. These are sterile gloves that are discarded after the completion of surgery. The segment is expected to register growth owing to the rising burden of surgical procedures worldwide and advancements in surgical gloves.
• The high burden of plastic surgery and cardiovascular surgeries is propelling the segment's growth. For instance, as per 2021 Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Statistics, a total of 15,63,537 surgical procedures were conducted, including breast augmentation and mastopexy, in the United States in 2021. These procedures require disposable surgical gloves, which are expected to propel the segment growth during the forecast period.
• In addition, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data updated in August 2022, the number of surgeries performed in some European countries such as Portugal, Denmark, Ireland, and Norway in 2021 includes 94.87, 49.33, 32.84, 21.5 (in thousand). Such a huge number of surgeries in developed European countries will lead to increased adoption of disposable surgical gloves during the surgeries.
• Furthermore, a study published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Open Journal in 2022 stated that a significant portion of surgical glove users would prefer gloves with adjustable finger lengths as current surgical gloves do not support hand anatomy variations. A survey of 6810 plastic surgery glove users was conducted that showed that 44.76% would prefer such gloves if available. Such studies create an opportunity for fulfilling the unmet needs, which are further expected to propel the segment during the forecast period.
• Additionally, the advancements in products and increasing product launches, along with partnerships and acquisitions by market players, are helping in the segment's growth. For instance, in August 2022, Molnlycke invested USD 51.3 million (EUR 50 million) in a new plant in Kulim, Malaysia, to meet future demand for high-quality surgical gloves. The new plant was expected to initiate production in September 2022.
• Therefore, owing to the aforementioned factors, such as the high demand for surgical disposable gloves during plastic surgery and other surgeries, along with investment by market players to expedite surgical gloves production is expected to propel the segment growth during the forecast period.

North America is Expected to Hold a Significant Share in the Market and Expected to do Same in the Forecast Period.

• North America is anticipated to hold a significant share of the disposable medical gloves market over the forecast period owing to the high burden of surgical procedures and hospital admissions, stringent government regulations, and a strong presence of market players in the region.
• The large number of surgeries performed in the region is associated with a high demand for disposable medical gloves in the region. For instance, as per the International Society of Aesthetic Platic Surgery (ISAPS) 2021 report, 7.34 million aesthetic procedures, including surgical and non-surgical treatment, were performed in the United States. Such procedures boost the utility of disposable medical gloves during the treatment to avoid direct contact with the patient's skin and bacterial infection, thereby accelerating market growth.
• In addition, the strategic initiatives that market players adopt, such as product launches, expanding manufacturing facilities, and partnerships, contribute to the region's market growth. For instance, in September 2021, American Nitrile, Ohio-based company, started one of the most advanced U.S. manufacturing facilities to produce nitrile gloves for healthcare, government, and industrial use to meet the surging demand for medical and non-medical latex-free nitrile gloves.
• Furthermore, in March 2022, American Nitrile, LLC entered a strategic partnership with Orion Infrastructure Capital to complete the development of its manufacturing facility in Grove City, OH. OIC provided USD 105 million to support the completion of twelve production lines with an aggregate capacity of 3.6 billion nitrile gloves per year. Such initiatives to expand the gloves manufacturing facility to augment the disposable gloves production are expected to propel the market growth in the region.
• Therefore, owing to the above-mentioned factors, such as high surgical procedures in the region and rising demand for disposable medical gloves in the region, the growth of the studied market is anticipated in the North American region.

Disposable Medical Gloves Industry Overview

The disposable medical gloves market is moderately competitive and consists of several major players. In terms of market share, a few of the major players are currently dominating the market. Some of the companies that are currently dominating the market are Ansell Limited, Cardinal Health, Dynarex Corporation, Hartelga Holdings Bhd, Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc., Kossan Rubber Industries, Molnlycke Health Care AB, Rubberex Corp. M Bhd, Semperit AG Holding, Supermax Corporation, Top Glove Corporation, and others.

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