IDC Predicts Worldwide Spending On 3D Printing To Reach $13.8b In 2019

The Worldwide Semi-annual 3D Printing Spending Guide from International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts that global spending on 3D printing (including hardware, materials, software, and services) will reach $13.8 billion in 2019, an increase of 21.2% from 2018. By 2022, worldwide spending is estimated to be $22.7 billion with a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.1%.

IDC projects that in 2019, 3D printers and materials will account for more than two thirds of the worldwide spending, reaching $5.3 billion and $4.2 billion respectively. The U.S. is expected to spend nearly $5 billion, Western Europe is expected to spend $3.6 billion, while China is expected to spend nearly $2 billion.

Discrete manufacturing, which constitutes 53.8% of all worldwide spending throughout the 2018-2022 forecast, will be the dominant industry for 3D printing. Healthcare providers will be the 2nd largest industry with a spending of nearly $1.8 billion in 2019, followed by education ($1.2 billion) and professional services ($898 million). Consumer spending will account for 4.7% of the worldwide total at $647 million. By 2022, IDC expects process manufacturing to move into the 5th position ahead of the consumer segment. Over the 5-year forecast, the industries that will see the fastest growth in 3D printing spending are healthcare (29.8% CAGR) and transportation (28.3% CAGR).

3D printing is most commonly used for prototypes, aftermarket parts, and parts for new products. These 3 use cases in the discrete manufacturing industry will account for 43% of worldwide spending in 2019. As spending by the healthcare industry rises, dental objects and medical support objects will become the 4th and 5th largest use cases in 2022, followed by specialized tools. Tissue/organ/bone (42.9% CAGR) and dental objects (33.1% CAGR) use cases will see the fastest spending growth.

With the wider adoption of 3D printing worldwide, prototyping in manufacturing has proliferated to other use cases and industries. This is evident in the growing spend of aftermarket parts in manufacturing, surgical models in healthcare, and architectural designs in professional services, as advantages of customized and cost-effective printing gain more awareness.

3D printing is also being increasingly used in manufacturing across a wide range of applications, thanks to rapid increases in production speeds and major advances in 3D printing materials. With a better knowledge of their benefits, users are searching for more ways to adopt the technology, which in turn drives higher levels of equipment utilization for prototyping, tooling, and real manufacturing.

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