Air Purifier Market

Market Overview

The global air purifier market Size was valued at USD 12.07 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 33.73 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 12.17% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Air purifiers are used to remove infecting or polluting particles, like dust or pollen, and filter the air for domestic or industrial applications; they are used to maintain high air quality while preventing the spread of hazardous substances. Air purifiers can stop several disorders like respiratory and neurological issues brought on by air pollution. Air purifiers are also used to remove cigarette smoke from space, which is particularly beneficial for people with asthma and allergies. Typically, air purifiers are marketed and sold according to their CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate), categorized as low, medium, or high. In addition, air purifiers comprise multiple filter technology, categorized as HEPA, activated carbon, ionic, electrostatic precipitators, photocatalytic, UV, etc.

Additionally, air purifiers are used in various industries, including printing, power plants, the production of food and beverages, chemicals, and fuel. Because some of the gases and airborne particles released in this industry can harm employees and significantly affect the environment if not controlled, air purifiers are needed in the industry for air monitoring and cleaning. Air purifiers are also used in homes to enhance indoor air quality by eradicating odor, smoke, and airborne dust particles.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Growth in Urbanization

Urbanization refers to the increase in the percentage of population in urban areas. More than 50% of the global population lives in urban areas. Environmental contamination has grown due to the economy's rapid development and the speeding up of urbanization and industrialization. The quality of the air is significantly impacted by urban population growth. A need for air purifiers is also projected to be driven by the increasing number of automobiles that emit pollution. Air purifier demand is therefore anticipated to increase along with urbanization and consumer awareness.

Urbanization affects the environment by increasing the demand for resources. It causes health complications mainly due to pollution and congested living conditions. Air quality in urban areas is also low due to factory smoke and emissions from diesel-powered generators. Therefore, the need to breathe clean air has become a key objective in urban areas, fueling the demand for air purifiers. With the increase in consumer awareness of the ill effects of poor air quality, the demand for air purifiers is expected to rise in the coming years.

Increasing Health Problems Associated with Air Pollution

Air pollution is among the major causes of various health problems worldwide. The effects of air pollution include breathing difficulties, cardiovascular problems, and others. Air pollution is caused due to harmful gases such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. These gases come from various sources, including vehicle exhaust fumes and burning coal or gas smoke. Therefore, air purifiers are witnessing increased demand to protect and improve air quality in residential and commercial spaces. In 2020, the prevalence of diseases induced by air pollution rose to approximately 29% lung cancer, 24% stroke-related deaths, 25% heart disease, and 43% lung disease. This has increased the demand for air purifiers, driving the market growth.

Market Restraint

Emission of Ozone and Other Pollutants

Ozone, a significant pollutant that can lead to several illnesses and allergies, is known to be released in both tiny and big amounts by different air purifiers. Inhaling ozone can cause breathlessness, chest pain, coughing, and other allergies. Ozone is effective in removing bad odors in indoor spaces. Therefore, it is present in high concentrations in various air purifiers. After being released from the air purifier system, it interacts with other pollutants and causes sickness. In addition, ozone affects the lungs and causes respiratory problems. Strong exposure to ozone is expected to cause irreparable damage to the respiratory system. Therefore, it is a major threat to people, making it a key challenge in the growth of the air purifier market.

Air purifiers such as ozone generators remove odor and release clean air; ionizers remove pollutants and generate unwanted ozone. Emitting large amounts of ozone helps eliminate bacteria and viruses. Ozone generators and ionizers cause numerous lung problems. Therefore, in certain countries such as the US, ozone generators and products are prohibited from use, hampering market growth.

Market Opportunities

Demand for Energy-efficient Air Purifiers

The demand for energy-efficient air purifiers is increasing. With the increase in operational cost, consumers are expected to opt for energy-efficient air purifiers, as changing filters every month is cost-intensive and increases the total operational cost. The demand for HEPA purifiers has also increased due to their energy efficiency. Therefore, energy-efficient air purifiers will experience high demand in the market with increasing electricity and filter costs.

In energy-efficient purifiers, HEPA, activated carbon, and prefilters are the three main technologies used. Therefore, multi-filtration systems are energy-efficient. Some air purifiers have an energy star label indicating they consume around 40% less energy than other purifiers. Vendors such as Panasonic, Philips, and other manufacturers are focusing on developing energy-efficient purifiers on a large scale owing to their high demand in the market. Owing to the increase in electricity cost, the demand for energy-efficient purifiers is expected to increase globally, creating opportunities for market expansion.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global air purifier market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Asia-Pacific air purifier market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.36% over the forecast period. China, Japan, South Korea, and India are some markets witnessing high growth in the Asia-Pacific air purifier market. Major developments have occurred due to the rise in pollution rates in these countries. The knowledge gap has challenged consumers and manufacturers to penetrate the market quickly. However, the demand for air purifiers is expected to increase with rising consumer awareness toward different types of air purifiers for eliminating toxic gases in the environment. In addition, commercial and industrial air purifiers are expected to have a higher penetration rate, particularly in hospitals, hotels, offices, and other healthcare sectors. One of the major international suppliers of air purifiers is China. With its robust distribution channels and high demand, the market is expected to witness improved growth in the forecast period. Further, HEPA and ionic air purifiers are anticipated to expand over the projected period, along with the increase in particle matter.

Europe is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.40% over the forecast period. The European market is estimated to expand with rising disposable income and consumer awareness of the advantages of air purifiers. Indoor and outdoor pollution is increasing drastically; however, cities are trying to control the air pollution rate by installing large air purifiers in various countries, including Germany. Increasing air pollution due to rising construction activities and growing vehicular emissions increases the prevalence of health diseases such as respiratory problems. As a result, modern air purifiers are becoming more popular in business settings like workplaces, airports, hospitals, and the residential and industrial sectors in European markets due to growing awareness of the negative effects of dirty air on human health.

In North America, the market for air purifiers is driven by increasing disposable income, high pollution rates, and consumer awareness. The high demand for air purifiers in North America is due to increasing industrialization and high pollution rates. The concentration of certain pollutants is often higher indoors than outdoors. Therefore, the demand for residential air purifiers will grow during the forecast period. In a competitive market such as North America, the price and extent of services serve as competitive factors. In addition, increasing wildfires in California cities and some parts of Canada are expected to increase the penetration rate of air purifiers. The market in North America is highly competitive as companies are innovating their products with new technologies and entering into other markets, such as small portable air purifiers.

In Latin America, Brazil is the major revenue contributor to the market, followed by Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. The region is expected to grow considerably due to rapid urbanization, growing construction activities, and deteriorating air quality in countries. Rising indoor pollution and vehicular emissions are the key drivers that have created opportunities for vendors in the air purifier market in Latin America.

In the Middle East and Africa, the air purifiers market is driven by increasing investments in infrastructure and construction activities, coupled with the level of pollutants in the air that surged between 2017-2020. Moreover, a rapid increase in indoor air pollutants increased the demand for air purification systems in major growing economies of the Middle East and Africa region. Furthermore, increasing the need for energy-efficient and cost-effective air purifiers that can deliver high efficiency is expected to boost the market for air purifiers in the Middle East and Africa region. Rising global awareness of the harmful effects of air pollution and rapid urbanization is expected to surge the demand for air purifiers in the region during the forecast period.

Segmental Analysis

The global market is bifurcated into application, technology, distribution channels, and CADR.

Based on application, the global air purifier market is segmented into residential spaces, office spaces, hospitals, hospitality, airports, educational institutes, shopping malls, gyms and fitness centers, and others. 

The residential spaces segment is the largest contributor to the market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 12.48% over the forecast period. With the increase in home pollutants, there is a high demand for residential air purifiers. These pollutants generally occur by smoke, cooking fuels, personal product such as deodorants, mosquito coils, and other products at home. One of the top five environmental health hazards is indoor air pollution. Therefore, the demand for residential air purifiers is expected to increase in regions, particularly in highly polluted cities. A growing number of severe health concerns due to indoor air pollution is expected to increase the penetration rate of air purifiers worldwide.

Based on technology, the global air purifier market is divided into HEPA, ionic, activated carbon, electrostatic precipitators, photocatalytic, Ultraviolet, and others. 

The HEPA segment is the most significant contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.43% over the forecast period. High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters efficiently filter out around 99.97% of particulate pollutants such as pollen, dust, etc. HEPA filters are broadly categorized into HEPA-type or HEPA-grade filters and True HEPA air purifiers. The demand for HEPA filters is increasing as they effectively remove small particles and pollutants. However, these filters require high maintenance as they need replacement every three to four months.

Furthermore, HEPA filters can be used in residential spaces as well. With increasing pollution rates and rising commercialization, the demand for air purifiers is high in the Asia-Pacific region. The increase in population in countries such as India, China, and others creates major opportunities for HEPA purifiers. Strict government regulations about air quality and increasing consumer spending are expected to drive the demand further.

Based on distribution channels, the global air purifier market is bifurcated into offline and online channels. 

The online segment owns the highest market share and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 13.93% over the forecast period. With the increase in e-commerce channels, consumers have shifted to purchasing products online without leaving their homes. The air purifier market is also expected to witness increased online sales. With the increase in e-commerce platforms globally, companies have paved the way toward online sales. The demand for air purifiers has increased with the increase in air pollution worldwide.

In addition, people prefer online and offline modes of purchase according to their convenience. In 2020, the Indian online market witnessed increased traction, especially during festivals like Diwali. Online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart are increasing their online sales by offering discounts and other services free of cost. Therefore, several customers are expected to shift to online purchases. Moreover, there has been a substantial increase in online sales since the beginning of the novel coronavirus crisis.

Based on CADR, the global air purifier market is bifurcated into low, medium, and high. 

The medium CADR segment dominates the global market and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 12.55% during the forecast period. CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) indicates the air volume filtered by an air purifier. CADR ratings show the efficiency of air purifiers at capturing fine particles from the air, such as tobacco smoke and pollen, at indoor facilities. The higher the CADR ratings, the more efficient the air purifiers. In addition, the CADR rating scale is influenced by filter efficiency and airflow. The CADR represents the cleansed air output from the air purifier at the fastest fan speed and largest surface area. CFM, or cubic feet per minute, is utilized to express CADR.

Recent Developments

• April 2023- During its Intelligent Living 2023 event, Xiaomi launched the Smart Air Purifier 4 in India. The successor to the Mi Air Purifier 3 released in 2019, the fourth-generation model features an enhanced filter, a larger coverage area, and a quieter design — Xiaomi claims it is quieter than a Rs 50,000 Dyson.
• November 2022- Samsung introduced the latest Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled air purifiers in India that provide pure air regardless of the environment or room air conditions.