3D printing market seen reaching $34.81 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company projects the global 3D printing market will grow from $13.83 billion in 2025 to $34.81 billion by 2030, driven by rapid prototyping, industrial automation and broader use in mass production. North America led the market in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region.

Why it matters: - 3D printing is moving further into mainstream manufacturing, which could speed product development and reduce material waste across industries. - The market’s projected growth signals rising demand for additive manufacturing in prototyping, production and customized parts.

What happened: - The Business Research Company released a new market report on the global three-dimensional printing market on July 8, 2026. - The report projects the market at $13.83 billion in 2025 and $16.61 billion in 2026. - The report forecasts the market will reach $34.81 billion by 2030. - The forecast implies a 20.3% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2030.

The details: - 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, creates three-dimensional objects by layering materials from digital designs. - The technology uses plastics, metals, ceramics and composites. - Key benefits include faster prototyping, greater customization and lower material waste than conventional manufacturing. - Growth in 2025 and 2026 is tied to prototyping demand, materials science advances, flexible design needs, reduced manufacturing waste and broader industrial automation. - The 2030 outlook is driven by mass production adoption, demand for lightweight components, expansion of distributed manufacturing networks, investment in advanced printing materials and broader industry use. - The report highlights rapid prototyping, bespoke and on-demand manufacturing, multi-material and composite printing, decentralized production and high-speed large-scale printing as major trends. - North America held the largest market share in 2025. - Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region during the forecast period. - The regional analysis also covers South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America and the Middle East and Africa. - The report includes market attractiveness scoring, total addressable market analysis, company scoring matrix graphics and tables, Excel-based forecasting dashboards, market hotspots infographics, key technologies and future trend analysis, and updated graphics and tables. - The Business Research Company offers a free sample of the report here. - The full report is available here.

Between the lines: - The report points to a shift from 3D printing as a prototyping tool toward broader manufacturing use. - Faster lead times remain a key buying factor, which suggests cost and speed are still stronger drivers than novelty. - In June 2024, Proto Labs said 70% of surveyed businesses produced more parts using 3D printing in 2023 than in 2022, and 47% cited lead-time reduction as the main reason.

What's next: - The market is expected to keep expanding through 2030 as more industries adopt additive manufacturing for production and supply-chain flexibility. - Continued investment in materials and high-speed systems is likely to shape the next phase of growth. - Regional momentum in Asia-Pacific may narrow the gap with North America if manufacturing adoption accelerates.