Fingerprint Sensors Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Optical, Capacitive, Thermal, Ultrasonic), By Applications (Smartphones/Tablets, Laptops, Smartcards, IoT, Other Applications), By End-User Industries (Military and Defense, Consumer Electronics, BFSI, Government, Other End-User Industries) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2023-2031

Market Overview

The global fingerprint sensors market size was valued at USD 7.74 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 21.05 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 11.76% during the forecast period (2023–2031). The surging penetration of smartphones and smart wearable devices equipped with fingerprint sensors is among the prominent drivers of the growth of the fingerprint sensors market. The escalating number of security breaches across multiple end-user industries is also driving the demand for fingerprint sensors.

A fingerprint sensor, also known as a fingerprint scanner, is a type of technology that recognizes and verifies an individual's fingerprints to deny or grant access to a computer system or physical facility. Fingerprint sensors are a biometric security technology that combines hardware and software to identify a person's fingerprint scans. The required users must place their fingers on a hardware scanner for these sensors to function.

The sensors record and replay the person's input, searching for patterns in the previously recorded scans. The person is given access if a match is discovered. The fingerprint sensor is fast, cost-effective, convenient, reliable, and can be seamlessly integrated into distinct devices. Therefore, it has global applications in consumer electronics, aerospace, healthcare, government and law enforcement, defense and military, banking, BFSI, travel, and immigration industries.

Market Dynamics

Global Fingerprint Sensors Market Drivers

Increasing Usage of Fingerprint Sensors for Smart Wearable Devices and Smartphones 

Smart wearable devices, like watches, increasingly incorporate fingerprint scanners, which can be utilized to unlock applications on a connected smartphone. Such developments in the market are expected to influence the demand for fingerprint sensors further. For instance, in June 2021, Facebook announced plans to incorporate biometric features.

In addition to this, smart wearable sales are flourishing exponentially, and the penetration rate of the technology compared to the smartphone is very low; this offers more prominent space for growth over the coming years. According to Cisco Systems, connected wearables were expected to reach USD 192 million by the end of 2022. This is expected to drive fingerprint sensors for smartphones.

Need for Secured Security and Business Applications

The increasing number of cyber threats and data breaches drives the demand for robust security across enterprises and government organizations. For instance, in 2021, Socialarks, a Chinese social media management company, suffered a data leak that exposed 400GB of personal data from social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The cost of data breaches has been increasing significantly over the years; according to IBM Security's 2021 data breach report, the average total cost of a data breach stood at USD 4.24 million in 2021, which was USD 3.86 million in 2019. Such instances are increasing the demand for fingerprint sensors across various end-user verticals.

Global Fingerprint Sensors Market Restraint

Increasing Adoption of Substitute Technologies, like Face and Iris Scanning

Facial recognition systems are becoming increasingly prevalent on a variety of devices. For instance, major smartphone vendors like Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus have already incorporated this as user authentication. These technologies are also increasingly accurate in recognizing the subject. According to Apple, the possibility of a random individual unlocking an iPhone X and unlocking it using Face ID is approximately one in a million.

Iris recognition is used for mission-critical systems for better security and safety than fingerprint recognition. In line with this, various vendors are already developing solutions for iris scanning. For instance, Samsung's Galaxy S8 has facial recognition, iris scanning capabilities, and fingerprint scanning. Such developments in the market are expected to challenge the market demand for fingerprint solutions.

Global Fingerprint Sensors Market Opportunities

Government Initiatives to Adopt Biometrics in Various Fields 

Various government initiatives worldwide are investing in building civil identity systems by incorporating biometrics, and such projects are on the surge. Such systems have numerous applications, including universal identification, law and order, and border protection. China and India have built Asia's largest biometric database with initiatives such as Aadhar and Social Credit Systems. Aadhar is a 12-digit unique number based on the citizen's photograph, iris scans, and ten fingerprints. As of January 2020, the number of Indian residents possessing an Aadhaar number reached 1,250,784,712, accounting for approximately 99.9% of the country's total population.

Additionally, the European Union plans to build a common identity repository (CIR), which may consolidate biometric data on all citizens, visitors, and migrants. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) will be operational by 2020 for border management. Such developments in the market are expected to influence the adoption of fingerprint sensors further, as various government processes and services require their citizens to produce biometric data.

Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

Based on region, the global fingerprint sensors market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Asia-Pacific is the most significant global fingerprint sensors market shareholder and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.45% during the forecast period. The main factors driving the fingerprint sensor market in China are expected to be the rise in mobile transactions and government initiatives. China's high mobile transaction volume is anticipated to create potential for the market. As per the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), in 2020, there will be approximately 852.5 million mobile payment users, up from 583.3 million in 2018. This rise in mobile payment transactions increases the demand for various fingerprint sensors.

Furthermore, the primary driver of Japan's fingerprint scanner market is the regional company's ongoing new advancements. Fingerprint Cards collaborated with the Tokyo-based company MoriX Co. Ltd. in July 2021 to develop and launch biometric payment cards in Japan. The T-Shape module from Fingerprints will be on the cards, which features ultra-low power consumption and is customized for integration into payment cards using standard automated manufacturing techniques. The addition of biometric sensors to contactless payment cards improves security, cleanliness, and sanitation while increasing card usage.

North America is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.17% over the forecast period. North America contributes to a substantial market share, with the U.S. as the major player. The United States is a developed economy with significant adoption of advanced technologies and devices that integrate fingerprint sensors, contributing to the market share. Smartphones are one of the most significant contributors to the consumption of fingerprint sensors in the consumer electronics sector. In recent years, smartphone sales in the United States have consistently increased. According to the Consumer Technology Association, in the United States, smartphones were the products with the highest retail revenue in the consumer electronics sector, accounting for 79 billion dollars in revenue in 2020, followed by gaming software and services and laptops and notebook PCs. This is expected to boost the fingerprint sensor market.

Similarly, according to the Privacy Commission in Canada, identity thefts associated with the payment and banking sectors are prominent in Canada. Such trends indicate the market potential for biometric technologies, such as fingerprints.

In the European region, the presence of major economies like the UK and Germany drives the market. As mobile commerce grows in the United Kingdom, biometric authentication has the potential to bypass entering address and credit card details. Biometric authentication expects more retailers, both physical and online. Therefore, the collaborations and product innovations by prominent players in the market are analyzed to expedite the market growth rate during the forecast period.

Similarly, the German parliament is putting recently passed EU laws requiring fingerprints and biometric pictures on national identification cards into effect. Due to the recent fingerprint requirement, the formerly optional aspect of government-issued IDs became mandatory in August 2021. In November 2021, Bird Home Automation, a Berlin-based "DoorBird" IP access control system manufacturer, expanded its product line to include fingerprint-enabled door intercoms. Likewise, Fingerprint Cards AB, a prominent worldwide biometrics business based in Sweden, has recently integrated fingerprint technology into the D21x line of IP video door stations. This allows for fingerprint biometric authentication.

In the Middle East and Africa, the fingerprint sensor market is evolving. During the forecast period, the region is expected to grow because of the increasing adoption of fingerprint sensors in different industries, such as banking, construction, etc. The market vendors are generally emerging payment technologies and partnering to bring advancements in fingerprint and biometric authentication technology. For instance, in December 2021, Mastercard partnered with Jordan Kuwait Bank to release Jordan's first biometric payment card and the first World Elite brand card with biometric features in the Middle East and Africa region. Similarly, the growing developmental activities in the region, supported by government initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030, are expected to support the growth of fingerprint manufacturers in the region.

Segmental Analysis

The global fingerprint sensors market is segmented by type, application, and end-user industry.

Based on type, the global fingerprint sensors market is bifurcated into optical, capacitive, thermal, and ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. 

The capacitive fingerprint sensor segment dominates the global market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 11.27% over the forecast period. Capacitive sensors record the image of a fingerprint to authenticate the user. The capacitive sensors use semiconductor chips (that act as conductor plates) to record the image. In several cases, CMOS sensors enable the conductor plate mechanism. For instance, the FPC1080A by Fingerprint Cards AB is based on a CMOS fingerprint swipe sensor with applications in the portable device segment. It also consumes very little power and extends the hardware-integrated support for regular image capture, navigation, and automatic finger-detection mechanisms.

Thermal sensors use the pyro-electric material, which is used in infrared cameras. A fingerprint image is formed by the skin-temperature ridges along with an ambient temperature measure for valleys. However, the biggest issue with this technique is the dynamicity of the temperature. Additionally, this technology has contamination and wear issues. Vendors, like 1d3 technologies, use thermal swipe fingerprint sensors for high-quality images. The technology is based on a different thermal radiation. The pyroelectric materials generate current according to various temperatures. In order to reduce the contamination, it deploys a capture method, a self-cleaning function.

Based on application, the global fingerprint sensors market is divided into smartphones and tablets, laptops, smartcards, IoT, and other applications. 

The smartphone/tablets segment is the largest revenue contributor to the market and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.52% throughout the forecast period. Smartphones utilize fingerprint sensors for user authentication at a higher rate than any other device considered in the study. Toshiba was the first company to implement fingerprint sensors in a smartphone in 2011, but Apple Touch ID revolutionized the technology. On the other hand, tablets have been using capacitive sensors, and many small manufacturers have opted not to include fingerprint sensors on tablets to preserve the bezels. The increasing prevalence of smartphones is anticipated to generate additional market opportunities. For instance, the Ericsson Mobility Report 2021 shows more than 5.5 billion new smartphone subscriptions.

Smartcards usually contain an embedded microprocessor or integrated chip and have been extensively adopted by different end-user industries to enhance security. Banking, various governments, and the transportation sector are significant sectors that have adopted these solutions in their service setups. Biometrics, such as fingerprint capabilities, have been added to the smartcards to further add to the security features of the cards, resulting in end-users switching to such solutions. For instance, Corner Bank, Bank of Cyprus, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Société Générale are among a few of the prominent banks that are running pilot projects for smartcards with fingerprint biometric solutions.

Based on the end-user industry, the global fingerprint sensors market is segmented into military and defense, consumer electronics, BFSI, and government. 

The consumer electronics segment owns the highest market share and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 10.68% during the forecast period. Due to the rising demand for biometric technology for access management, the demand for fingerprint sensors in consumer electronics is anticipated to increase substantially over the forecast period. In addition, increasing biometrics for enhanced security has also emerged as one of the market's most important growth drivers. Rising demand for the convenience, availability, and accessibility of embedded biometrics is anticipated to be a major factor in the widespread adoption of fingerprint sensors in consumer electronics.

The BFSI sector has witnessed an escalation in the demand for verification and identity systems that offer a high level of security owing to the increasing frequency of security breaches. Banks use biometrics to generate next-generation identification controls that combat fraud, make transactions more reliable, and enhance the customer experience. Most banks use a fingerprint to authenticate access for banking transactions. The branch does not allow access until the system finds an exact fingerprint match per the biometric database.

Recent Developments

• May 2023: Samsung Display introduced the first mobile OLED panel with an integrated biometric reader and heart rate sensor. This panel, known as Sensor OLED, can minimize a smartphone's or tablet's complexity by integrating biometrics and health tracking.

• September 2023: Digital Chat Station reported that by the end of this year, prominent technology company Goodix will begin mass production of its ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor.