2025: Supply-Demand Improvement and Industrial Upgrading
In 2025, the PP nonwovens industry achieved supply-demand improvement amid capacity reduction and structural upgrading, with emerging sectors driving demand growth. The industry faced unbalanced supply and demand, price pressure and structural upgrading. Overcapacity, fierce competition and weak polypropylene raw material support led to sharp annual price fluctuations and an overall downward trend. Lagging capacity exited gradually, while leading enterprises shifted to intelligent production and high-end products, boosting industrial quality.
Production and Operating Rate Rebound
After the full liberalization of public health controls in early 2023, PP nonwovens demand dropped rapidly after a short surge. Affected by sluggish economic recovery, production and operating rates declined year by year, with the 2024 operating rate at 32%, down 1.21 percentage points year-on-year. In 2025, the situation reversed: production reached 3 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.73%, and the average operating rate rose by about 5 percentage points, driven by emerging applications and warmer export demand. Monthly output in 2025 was generally higher than that in 2024, with fluctuations affected by traditional peak and off seasons.
Downstream Demand: New Growth Engines Emerge
The overall consumption structure of PP nonwovens remained stable in the past five years, but the proportion of the five core application areas diverged. The medical and health sector, once the largest demand driver, saw a declining share post-pandemic. Wiping & cleaning and automotive sectors became new growth engines. The wiping & cleaning sector’s share rose to 14% in 2025 from 9% in 2021, boosted by rising acceptance of disposable products. The booming new energy vehicle industry drove demand for PP nonwovens in auto interiors, thanks to their advantages of low cost, light weight and recyclability.
2026 Outlook: Demand to Keep Rising
With terminal industries moving towards high-end and intelligent development, PP nonwovens demand has stabilized and rebounded, especially in wiping & cleaning, new energy vehicles and packaging. Looking ahead to 2026, supported by continuous growth in emerging downstream sectors, the market demand and production of PP nonwovens are expected to maintain an upward trend steadily.
Post time: Jan-30-2026
