Medical Gloves Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Product Type (Examination Gloves, Surgical Gloves), By Material (Latex Natural Rubber, Nitrile, Vinyl, Polyisoprene, Neoprene, Polychloroprene), By End-User (Hospitals & Clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Life Sciences & Biomedical Research Laboratory) And By Geography- Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

The global medical gloves market is valued to be US$11,215.439 million for the year 2020.

Medical Gloves are utilized as a routine measure in a healthcare environment for infection prevention and prevention of disease transmission at the time of testing, examination, or performing a medical procedure. The growing need for gloves to prevent germ transmission is the major factor driving the market growth in the forecast period.

The prevalence of infectious diseases is further driving market growth over the forecast period. As per the WHO “Glove Use Information Leaflet,” medical gloves are defined as “disposable gloves used during medical procedures.”The organization has segregated the medical gloves into three categories as examination gloves, surgical gloves, and chemotherapy gloves. Furthermore, the significant measures taken to prevent hospital-associated infections are surging the market demand in the forecast period.

Based on product type, the market is categorized into examination gloves and surgical gloves.

Examination gloves are utilized for the purpose of clinical and general patient examination. These are predicted to hold a significant market share in the product type category. Hence, with the growing number of diseases worldwide, the market for examination gloves holds a strong chance of proliferation in the forecast period.

Also, with the new coronavirus outbreak in almost every part of the world, originating from Wuhan, China, suspected individuals with significant symptoms require to undergo testing for the novel coronavirus infection; therefore, this is creating a vast market opportunity for the sale of medical gloves, further fuelling the market growth.

However, with the surging demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there are concerns regarding the insufficient supply of gloves; thus, the rational use of PPE is recommended by the WHO in the healthcare and community setting and during the handling of the cargo. Furthermore, with the increasing trend of early diagnosis and detection of diseases, the market for examination gloves will grow significantly over the next five years. Additionally, with the prevalence of routine diagnostic tests, the market is poised to hold a steady share during the forecast period.

The growing number of surgeries is propelling the market demand in the forecast period.

The growing number of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, among other diseases, has given rise to surgical procedures as well, accordingly providing an opportunity for the market to thrive in the forecast period. Additionally, with the growing adoption of minimally invasive surgical procedures, the market for medical gloves is projected to fuel in the forecast period. The growing research and innovation in utilizing robotics for performing various surgeries are further propelling the market demand over the next five years.

The increasing road traffic injuries, especially in low and middle-income countries, are further providing an impetus in surging the market growth in the forecast period. As per the WHO estimates, close to 1.35 million individuals die every year due to road traffic accidents. These injuries are reported to be the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged between 5 to 29 years of age. Road traffic accidents cost around 3% of the country's GDP.

It has been predicted that over 50% of all road traffic accident deaths occur among pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Additionally, more than 90% of the global fatalities on roads take place in low and middle-income nations. In the developed regions of the world, individuals from lower socioeconomic statuses are prone to road traffic accidents.

Furthermore, the presence of key market players manufacturing high-quality surgical gloves is augmenting the market growth in the forecast period. The surgical glove manufacturers include Ansell, Molnlycke Health Care, Innovative Healthcare, and Sempermed, producing innovative surgical gloves of high-quality grade at affordable prices.

On 19th December 2016, the FDA published a final rule banning powdered surgical gloves due to causing surgical complications through powdered particles. The ban would not cause any harm to the market growth. This may, however, help in reducing the number of adverse events caused by powdered gloves. The rule came into operation on January 18, 2017.

The growing geriatric population will augment the market demand in the forecast period.  

The growing geriatric population worldwide is predicted to drive the market demand for medical gloves in the forecast period. This is due to the improvement in the healthcare facilities for the aging population and the utilization of these facilities to treat various age-associated diseases. Hence, this provides strong growth prospects for the market to proliferate in the forecast period. The growing trend of home healthcare facilities will further provide an opportunity for the market to grow significantly in the forecast period.

It is estimated that the population in the United States is projected to surge from 7.9% in 2010 to 17% in 2020 (source: US Census Bureau). Elderly individuals are the fastest-growing population, and their population size is estimated to increase to 53.2% in 2020 from 13.3% in 2010. The surge in the elderly population is mainly attributed to the increase in life expectancy. Hence, this population has a substantial impact on the increasing demand for better healthcare facilities which include better surgical procedures as well. This is because of the fact that the older population requires more medical services in comparison to the younger population.

Additionally, patients above the age of 65 years are more likely to contract infections, so the use of medical gloves is necessary when treating older patients. However, wearing gloves is a routine practice, and gloves are considered one of the essential medical supplies. This is mainly due to the fact that with a weakened immune system mainly due to old age and due to age-associated diseases, these patients are more prone to catch infections in comparison to youth or middle-aged individuals.

Key Developments

• September 2021: A new U.S. manufacturing plant specifically designed to produce nitrile gloves for healthcare, government, and industrial use is being built by American Nitrile, a recently established company with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, to help meet the soaring demand for both medical and non-medical nitrile gloves. This operation is expected to produce vital medical gloves domestically in Ohio and generate hundreds of new innovative manufacturing jobs.
• July 2021: In order to increase domestic manufacturing of nitrile exam gloves, Honeywell and Premier Inc., a leading technology-driven healthcare improvement firm, has established a new business partnership. This new partnership is anticipated to generate at least 750 million nitrile examination gloves in the first year alone.
• January 2020: The Biogel PI UltraTouch S surgical glove was introduced by Mölnlycke to address the issue of allergic contact dermatitis among surgical teams. Occupational contact dermatitis is brought on by repeated hand washing and chemical exposure. Biogel PI UltraTouch S surgical gloves, the newest addition to the Biogel product family, were created using a novel skin-friendly composition that has been clinically shown to reduce the occurrence of allergic contact dermatitis in surgical rooms. 

Impact of the COVID-19 on Medical Gloves Market

Despite the closure of major industrial processes and operations due to the implementation of strict lockdown regulations, the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the medical gloves market. With the rapid spread of infection among the people, the healthcare sector reported an increase in demand for medical gloves. The utilization of medical gloves for medical treatments, testing, surgical procedures, vaccinations, etc, resulted in a surge in demand for the medical gloves market. According to the WHO, as of June 2022, there have been more than 500 million confirmed cases globally. The usage of medical gloves for healthcare procedures for infected patients led to an increase in demand. Moreover, with the resumption of industrial processes and withdrawal of COVID-19 protocols, healthcare facilities are expected to see an increase in surgical procedures and treatments, due to the suspension of non-essential procedures during the pandemic. Hence, the demand for the medical gloves market is anticipated to increase substantially in the forecasted period.

Medical Gloves Market Scope:

Segmentation:

• By Product Type
  • Examination Gloves
  • Surgical Gloves

• By Material
  • Latex Natural Rubber
  • Nitrile
  • Vinyl
  • Polyisoprene
  • Neoprene
  • Polychloroprene

• By End-User
  • Hospitals & Clinics
  • Ambulatory Surgery Centers
  • Life Sciences & Biomedical Research Laboratory

• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • UK
    • Germany
    • France
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • Japan
    • China
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Indonesia
    • Others