EDANA, the global association representing the nonwovens sector, has published its annual statistics for 2025, offering a detailed overview of industry performance across Greater Europe. The data highlights the sector’s resilience despite ongoing market challenges.
According to the report, total nonwovens production in Europe declined slightly by approximately 2.2% in 2025, reaching 2.919 million tonnes. Despite this contraction, the industry demonstrated strong adaptability and continued innovation in response to reduced demand in certain segments and increasing international competition.
Jacques Prigneaux, Director of Market Analysis and Economic Affairs at EDANA, noted that the sector continues to show flexibility and strength even amid challenging economic conditions.
Mixed Performance Across Processes and Markets
Production trends varied across countries and manufacturing technologies. Spunmelt production saw a decline of 3.3%, while drylaid processes remained relatively stable with a minor decrease of 0.7%. Meanwhile, hydroentanglement and needle-punch technologies recorded modest growth of 0.1% and 0.8%, respectively.
The hygiene sector, which remains the largest application area for nonwovens, experienced a 2.7% decline in 2025, reversing the 1.7% growth recorded in 2024. This drop was largely influenced by shifts in the baby diaper segment.
Other end-use sectors showed varied performance, including slight growth in personal care wipes (+0.9%), while building and roofing (-6.8%), automotive interiors (-0.9%), and upholstery (-7.1%) recorded declines. These figures, however, do not reflect changes in material grammage, which are assessed separately through surface area data available to EDANA members.
Industry Insights and Future Outlook
Prigneaux acknowledged the continued support of participating companies in contributing data, emphasizing that such collaboration helps create a reliable and valuable resource for stakeholders across the supply chain.
As part of its member benefits, EDANA will provide access to the full 2025 Nonwovens Market Insights report. More detailed analysis by production processes and market applications will be shared during INDEX 26 in Geneva, including a dedicated Market Trends Seminar scheduled for 19 May.