Anti-Counterfeit Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Market size is estimated at USD 203.44 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 251.95 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.37% during the forecast period (2025-2030).

The anti-counterfeit packaging market is witnessing growth, driven by evolving regulations to safeguard life-critical products, technological strides in anti-theft measures, a diverse array of emerging threats, and an increasing emphasis on brand protection.

Key Highlights

• Regulatory measures, including the U.S.'s Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement and the EU Commission's labeling and serialization initiatives, are poised to bolster the market in developed economies during the forecast period.
• The surge of e-commerce has heightened the demand for anti-counterfeit packaging solutions. Online marketplaces have simplified counterfeiters' access to consumers. In response, brands are adopting advanced authentication features, like QR codes and near-field communication (NFC) tags, enabling customers to verify product authenticity via smartphones.
• Stringent regulations set by governments and regulatory bodies further fuel the market's expansion. Take the EU's Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD), which mandates unique identifiers and anti-tampering devices for all prescription medications. In China, regulations enforce track-and-trace systems for select product categories. Such mandates have catalyzed innovations in serialization technologies and secure packaging solutions.
• According to Macfarlane Group UK Ltd, in July 2024, customized anti-counterfeit packaging caters to the unique requirements of various industries. The pharmaceutical sector grapples with formidable challenges in safeguarding its products from counterfeit threats. To counteract this, consider integrating anti-counterfeit packaging features such as holographic labels, serialized QR codes, and distinct barcodes. These enhancements deter tampering and bolster product authentication, ensuring the pharmaceuticals' integrity throughout the supply chain.
• However, the market faces challenges owing to the high costs associated with setting up and innovating anti-counterfeit packaging, which deters new entrants and potential clients. Without adequate customer awareness, this hesitance and the ease of replicating existing technologies like barcodes and QR codes hamper market expansion.

Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Market Trends

Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare to Drive the Market Demand

• Counterfeit packaging for pharmaceuticals is one of the lucrative sectors of the global trade in illegally copied goods. Fake drugs harm and even kill millions of people across the world. It inflicts severe damage on the brand names of big pharmaceutical manufacturers.
• Several incidents of fake COVID-19 vaccines were administered to the populations of various countries. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) discovered counterfeit versions of Covishield (manufactured by the Serum Institute of India), which caused widespread concern among stakeholders worldwide. To overcome this, governments across regions focused on implementing regulations to prevent counterfeit medicines.
• According to a study by Oliver Inc. in September 2024, retailers are increasingly adopting anti-counterfeiting measures in pharmaceutical labeling and packaging. Counterfeit products can erode consumer trust and risk sales. Counterfeit medicines, for instance, might lack active pharmaceutical ingredients, possess ineffective qualities, or even contain harmful formulations.
• On a positive note, the pharmaceutical sector has integrated anti-counterfeiting features into its labeling and packaging. While these technologies can not entirely prevent criminals from altering products, they empower retailers to authenticate pharmaceutical packaging, distinguishing between genuine items and those crafted by malicious entities.
• According to IQVIA, a global leader, delivers data analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services tailored for the life sciences sector, revenue of global pharmaceutical market in 2020 was USD 1,312 billion and it has reached USD 1,607 billion in 2023. Therefore, rise in revenue of pharmaceutical sector globally will also rise the demand for anti-countefeit packaging over the forecast period.

Regulations Have Enabled North America to Maintain a Dominant Market Share

• North America is poised to command a significant share of the anti-counterfeit packaging market, bolstered by its unwavering commitment to research and development. The U.S. Federal Government is intensifying efforts to purge counterfeit goods from its supply chain. Leveraging advanced technologies like RFID and NFC, connected packaging emerges as a pivotal solution in safeguarding consumers from counterfeit products.
• As consumer demand for transparency surges, so does the traceability of products. Notably, the U.S. grapples with counterfeit goods valued over USD 1 trillion annually, derived from law enforcement seizures and reported by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Strengthened anti-counterfeit regulations have further bolstered the market's share.
• In response to this escalating demand, manufacturers embed innovative technologies into their equipment, enhancing product identification and tracking. Furthermore, with projections from AstraZeneca estimating North American sales at USD 706 billion by 2025, the region becomes a prime target for counterfeiters. However, the anti-counterfeit packaging market is set for growth, given its maturity.
• Further, counterfeiting undermines a brand's reputation by exploiting the goodwill and quality associated with its trademark. Legal protections are vital for brands susceptible to such practices to safeguard their hard-earned reputation in the Canadian market. The Request for Assistance (RFA) program empowers registered trademark owners to legally challenge importers of counterfeit goods, a process initiated upon detection by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).
• Heightened brand protection efforts and robust government backing fuel the North American anti-counterfeit packaging market. However, challenges loom: limited R&D investments and the burden of high setup costs could temper the market's expansion in the region.

Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Industry Overview

The anti-counterfeit packaging market is fragmented. A few major players, such as Avery Dennison Corporation, CCL Industries Inc., 3M Company, E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Zebra Technologies Corporation, and others, dominate the market in terms of market share. However, with innovative and sustainable packaging, many companies are increasing their market presence by securing new contracts and tapping new markets.

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