According to a study by the consulting firm Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney, the global consumption of coatings was 80 billion pounds in 2013 valued at $120 billion. The industry has recovered from the 2008-2009 global recession and a five percent average annual rate of growth is forecast through 2018.  This modest rate of advance is being propelled largely by the strong growth in the emerging economies of the Asia-Pacific region.  Consumption in Asia-Pacific, particularly China and India, has surged and is up by approximately 50 percent in pounds from 2008.

The Asia-Pacific region is the leading coating consumer with 45 percent of the volume and 40 percent of the value in 2013.  Growth is placed at 8 percent/year and its share is projected to rise to 51 percent of the pounds and 46 percent of the dollars in 2018.  China is 58 percent of the region’s volume and India 13 percent.

Europe is the second largest coating outlet taking 24 percent of the volume and 28 percent of the value in 2013.  A mature two percent annual rate is forecast with growth in Russia, Turkey and other Eastern European countries expanding faster.  North America took 17 percent of the global poundage and 21 percent of the dollars.  Like Europe growth is mature and a one percent annual rate is forecast through 2018.

South and Central American coating usage in 2013 represented eight percent of the total coating poundage and six percent of global value. Here growth is expected to be five percent per year over the next five years. Coating usage in this region is being driven principally by a six percent/year increase in Brazil which accounted for two-thirds of the region’s volume in 2013.

Throughout the world regulations and consumer demands continue to augment the growth of cleaner coating technologies such as water-based, powder and radcure.  Water-based (WB) technology leads in volume in 2013 with a 52 percent share of the pounds and is second in value with 40 percent of the dollars.  Some 85 percent of the WB pounds were architectural paints where the technology continues to capture share from SB types.  Solvent-based (SB) paints were 41 percent of the worldwide volume and 48 percent of the value in 2013.  Industrial applications were 68 percent of the SB pounds and 80 percent of the dollars.  Powder, radcure and other 100 percent solid liquid coatings are found in industrial applications and combined for 7 percent of the pounds and 12 percent of the value in 2013.

The top 25 suppliers of coatings combined for 54 percent of the sales in 2013 and the top 100 two-thirds.  The top 100 suppliers of architectural paints held three-quarters of the sales in 2013 and the top 100 suppliers of industrial coatings 65 percent.  There were 14 companies with coating sales in excess of $1 billion in 2013; two companies had sales over $10 billion.