Global demand for Industrial & Institutional (I&I) cleaning chemicals used in disinfectants and sanitizers is forecast to rise 6 percent per year to $6.6 billion in 2021. In nearly every country, healthcare applications of I&I disinfectants and sanitizers will register above average growth, as healthcare facilities are intensive users. Advances will be spurred by a shift in the product mix toward higher value chemical components offering strong performance and an improved environmental profile.

In China, Indonesia, and other developing national markets, increased use of hard surface sanitizers and similar products will drive global gains. These and other trends are presented in Global Industrial & Institutional Cleaning Chemicals, 4th Edition, a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

General purpose I&I cleaning chemical products will retain leading market share in 2021, accounting for 29 percent of global sales. Although annual growth for general purpose cleaners is forecast to be below market average, this segment will remain the largest product category for I&I cleaning chemicals by a considerable margin. Market maturity in the US, Western Europe, and Japan will dampen growth somewhat, but sizable gains are expected in the least developed markets, where formulated general purpose cleaners will see increases over homemade cleaners and basic chemicals.

Recovering foodservice revenues will drive nearly 4 percent annual growth in global demand for warewashing I&I cleaning chemicals through 2021. Following the sluggish growth in the 2011-2016 period, demand growth for I&I cleaning chemicals used in warewashing products – e.g., hand dishwashing and dishwasher detergents, rinse agents, and film removers – will fall in line with the overall average, as concerns about contaminated food abate and major players in the Asia/Pacific region adopt more Western-style dining habits. Rising standards of hygiene and sanitation in the developing economies of the Asia/Pacific and Africa/Mideast regions will bolster gains.