Topical Drugs Packaging Market size to cross $67.5 Bn by 2034

Selbyvile, DE. - The global topical drugs packaging market is projected to grow from USD 34.2 billion in 2025 to USD 67.5 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 7.9%, according to the latest report published by Global Market Insights, Inc.

Increased dermatological diseases prevalence, along with innovation in drug delivery forms and eco-friendly packaging, is fueling huge growth in the market. The trend is picking up as drug companies look for safe, compliant, and user-friendly packaging of topical products like creams, ointments, gels, and patches.

• Key Insights:

  • Market Size & Growth:

    • 2024 Market Size: USD 32.1 billion
    • 2025 Market Size: USD 34.2 billion
    • 2034 Forecast Market Size: USD 67.5 billion
    • CAGR (2025–2034): 7.9%
      

  • Regional Insights:

    • Largest Market: North America
    • Fastest Growing Market: Asia Pacific
    • Emerging Countries: India, Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa
      

  • Key Growth Drivers:

    • Growing consumption of dermatological drugs: Increasing incidences of skin diseases like eczema, acne, psoriasis, and fungal infections are compelling consumers to look for efficient topical drugs with safe and clean packaging.
    • Movement towards patient-focused packaging: Ease of use, portability, and dosage accuracy are now the focus areas of packaging forms by manufacturers, particularly for elderly populations and self-medication.
    • Sustainability and regulatory drive: The increasing focus on green packaging materials and meeting FDA/EMA requirements is redefining pharmaceutical packaging.
    • Growth in OTC topical drug sales: Growing over-the-counter topical product availability in emerging markets is opening new packaging design and volume prospects.

  • Key Players:

    • Amcor and Gerresheimer are leading the market with over 42.6% share in 2024.
      
    • Some of the top players in this market include Amcor, Gerresheimer, AptarGroup, West Pharmaceutical Services, and Schott, which together held a 65.1% share in 2024.
      

  • Key Challenges:

    • Material compatibility and stability issues: Certain active ingredients may react with packaging materials, affecting drug efficacy and shelf life.
      
    • High cost of compliance and innovation: Meeting evolving regulatory standards and investing in advanced, sustainable materials adds to manufacturing complexity and cost.
      
    • Environmental concerns around plastic waste: Despite plastic’s dominance, growing anti-plastic sentiment is pressuring companies to find alternatives without compromising barrier performance.
      

Browse key industry insights spread across 180 pages with 880 market data tables and figures from the report, “Topical Drugs Packaging Market - By Packaging Type, By Packaging Material, By Product Types, By Drug Type, By Closure Type, By Mode of Administration, By Application, Growth Forecast, 2025 - 2034” in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/topical-drugs-packaging-market

By Packaging Type – Rigid Packaging Leads

Rigid packaging held a dominant share in the topical drugs packaging market in 2024. Formats such as tubes, bottles, jars, and syringes offer superior protection, durability, and dosage control. These are especially popular for prescription and cosmetic topicals, where barrier integrity and user convenience are crucial.

By Drug Type – Semi-solid Formulations Dominate

Semi-solid topical drugs, including creams, gels, pastes, and ointments, accounted for the largest share in 2024. These formulations require packaging solutions that ensure hygienic dispensing, ease of application, and extended shelf life. Growth in the therapeutic skincare and dermatology segments continues to drive innovation in this category.

By Packaging Material – Plastic Packaging Prevails

Plastic remains the most widely used material in the market, thanks to its lightweight, cost-effective, and moldable nature. Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are common plastics used for tubes, pumps, and closures. However, manufacturers are now introducing recyclable and bio-based plastics to align with sustainability goals.

Regional Insights

As of 2024, North America was the largest stakeholder in the topical drug packaging market, spurred by a robust pharma infrastructure, growing healthcare expenditure, and rigorous regulatory transparency on topical product ingredients. North America as a whole values high-end skincare and treatment dermatology offerings, while at the same time, increasing demand for repurposed polymer-based packaging solutions continues to push demand for innovation in primary and secondary packaging. USA-based pharma packaging companies are also going local and making investments in localizing their manufacturing onshore to replace the delicate supply channel security.

Major players in the topical drugs packaging market are Amcor, Gerresheimer, LOG Pharma Primary Packaging, Nelipak, CCL Industries, Nipro, ProAmpac, Constantia Flexibles, AptarGroup, Huhtamaki, Bormioli Pharma, Catalent, and Mondi.

Several market participants are currently investing in sustainable innovation as well as strategic alliances to build their topical drug packaging offerings. Amcor announced a new portfolio of recyclable flexible tubes for dermatological products in 2025. Gerresheimer and AptarGroup collaborated with pharmaceutical companies to co-design airless pump systems for sensitive skin creams. Mondi announced the launch of mono-material plastic packs to improve recyclability. All of these examples show an industry movement toward sustainable, high-quality packaging that preserves shelf-life for the product while addressing evolving consumer demands.