The Future of Printer Demographics to 2031
The global printing industry outlook: production printer volumes, competitive landscape, and strategic scenarios across key geographies and segments to 2031
Global Printing Industry: Statistics and Forecasts to 2031
The global printing industry is undergoing a period of profound structural change. Establishment numbers are falling, workforces are contracting, and the forces reshaping demand show no signs of reversing. To make sense of where the market is heading, Smithers analyst Jon Harper Smith – author of newly published report The Future of Printer Demographics to 2031 – sets out the forces reshaping the competitive landscape.
How has the global printing industry changed in recent years?
The contraction has been significant and sustained. In 2024, there were 353,707 printing and allied industries establishments operating across the countries covered in our research – a decline of 7.9% from 384,102 in 2019. Employee numbers tell a similar story: the sector employed 3.4 million people in 2024, down 12.7% from 3.9 million in 2019. These are not marginal shifts; they reflect a structural realignment that was already underway before 2019 and has accelerated since.
What is driving this decline?
Several forces are converging. The most fundamental is the long-term reduction in demand for physical print, particularly in commercial and publication segments. The transition to digital content distribution has hit newspapers, magazines, and advertising print especially hard. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated an already established downward trend, and a series of subsequent geopolitical events meant that any recovery was short-lived.
Beyond demand-side pressures, there are operational factors at work. Newer printing presses are substantially more productive than the equipment being retired, meaning more output can be achieved with fewer machines and fewer facilities. This is compounding the decline in establishment numbers as the industry rationalises. Sustainability concerns are also playing a role, with consumers and content owners increasingly questioning the case for physical print – though there is some pushback on this.
Recruitment and retention remain a persistent challenge. Across most regions, companies report difficulty attracting qualified press operators. The industry is widely perceived as unattractive, and the skills required for newer, more sophisticated equipment are in short supply.
Are all regions equally affected?
No, and the regional picture is one of the more telling findings in our data. Asia is by some distance the largest region in the sector, accounting for 41.9% of global establishments and 55.4% of all employees in 2024. Crucially, its share has held up better than other regions – and in the case of employee share, has actually increased slightly since 2019. This reflects a combination of population-driven domestic demand growth and Asia’s substantial export position.
At the other end of the spectrum, Latin America and Eastern Europe have seen the steepest proportional falls in establishment numbers. North America sees the largest fall in terms of employee numbers, followed by both Eastern and Western Europe.
What is the outlook to 2031?
The decline will continue, but the rate is expected to slow. Publication and graphic printing – the segments most exposed to digital substitution – will keep contracting, though some titles will persist as niche or premium physical products. Packaging and labels are growing segments, though their data sits outside the scope of this particular analysis.
Several dynamics are expected to shift in the sector’s favour over the forecast period. Physical print is viewed as highly effective in advertising and other media. Plus, the rise of AI-generated content has created a trust deficit in digital channels that physical print does not share.
On the skills side, enhanced automation in newer press generations is expected to narrow the workforce gap, and the industry is making progress through training and support programmes. The broader acceptance that remote working has its limits also removes one longstanding deterrent to press-floor careers.
What should businesses be taking from this data?
The outlook is challenging, but not without strategic opportunity. The businesses best positioned for 2031 are those investing in high-productivity equipment, building capability in growing segments, and operating in – or supplying to – markets where domestic demand and export strength provide a buffer against Western print contraction. Asia, as our data confirms, will only grow in importance as the anchor of global print activity.
The sector has navigated significant disruption over the past five years. The companies that understand the underlying drivers are the ones most likely to emerge in a stronger competitive position.
Jon Harper Smith is a print consultant and analyst at Smithers with over 40 years of industry experience spanning inkjet, ink chemistry, business strategy, and market analysis. This Q&A draws on a new market study, The Future of Printer Demographics to 2031, published by Smithers. The report provides detailed data and forecasts on establishment numbers, employee trends, productivity, and regional dynamics across the global printing sector. To find out more or to purchase the report, contact the Smithers team today.