Growth: $16.6bn by 2031, accelerating to 7.1% CAGR
End use: eNIDs dominate; epassports fastest-growing segment
Region: Asia, Africa & Middle East lead volume growth.
The global personal ID market is entering a higher-growth phase, expanding from $11.8 billion in 2026 to $16.6 billion by 2031. This growth reflects sustained government investment in identity infrastructure rather than a cyclical rebound.
The industry is undergoing a structural shift from physical document manufacturing towards integrated identity ecosystems. Physical credentials – passports, national IDs, licenses – remain the root of trust, but digital ID wallets and verifiable credentials are increasingly absorbing everyday authentication use cases, creating a hybrid model.
Long-term competitive advantage will concentrate in digital identity infrastructure, biometric authentication, and secure interoperable platforms. Biometrics, machine-readable features, and secure chip technologies emerge as the highest-value layers.
The Future of Personal ID to 2031 delivers the definitive analysis of where this market is heading, and what it means for the organisations shaping it. The report maps the technologies, end-use segments, and regional markets driving the next wave of growth. It examines the risks that could disrupt progress, the regulatory forces sustaining demand, and the competitive dynamics separating market leaders from those at risk of commoditisation. Whether you are a technology provider, security printer, supplier, or identity policymaker, this report gives you the intelligence to act with confidence.
Key questions answered within this report
- Which technologies are gaining value, which are commoditising, and why biometrics and machine-readable features are becoming core identity infrastructure
- How physical IDs will evolve alongside digital wallets; and what fraud pressures mean for physical document security investment
- How growth drivers differ by region: from large-scale enrolment programmes in emerging markets to replacement cycles and digital integration in mature economies
- How cybersecurity vulnerabilities, geopolitical fragmentation, and supply chain dependencies could disrupt market growth and global interoperability.
Meet the expert behind the report
Dr James Wojtyk has over 25 years of extensive experience in scientific research, technology innovation, and strategic leadership across Canadian academic, government, and industrial sectors. For three years Dr Wojtyk headed up Research and Development in Currency at the Bank of Canada, integrating new technologies into banknotes, advising on counterfeit threats and fostering international collaborations.
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