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German adhesive industry 2024: global stabilisation while domestic market remains under pressure
According to the Industrieverband Klebstoffe (IVK), Germany’s adhesive industry saw stabilising international sales in 2024 but continued domestic weakness due to declining turnover, geopolitical uncertainty and complex regulations. The IVK expects only moderate recovery in 2025.
The German adhesive industry achieved global sales growth of 2.3 % in 2024, reaching about EUR 13.6 billion. International business showed signs of recovery, but the domestic market remained weak: sales in Germany fell by 2.8 % for adhesives, 1.9 % for tapes and 6.1 % for cementitious products. Total production volumes declined by 1.0 %. Domestic turnover reached almost EUR 4.1 billion, with adhesives alone generating about EUR 1.8 billion.
Employment stabilised: approximately 18,000 people work in the German adhesive sector (+ 0.9 %), while global headcount reached 51,800 (+ 0.4 %). Around 70 % of IVK members are small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.
Outlook 2025: moderate recovery in a challenging environment
The IVK expects slight market improvement in 2025. Early demand was supported by pre-buying linked to US trade policies. A recent EU-US customs agreement may ease trade tensions, but sluggish consumer sentiment and geopolitical risks continue to dampen forecasts.
At the same time, demand for circular economy solutions is growing, with adhesives playing a key role.
Adhesives as enablers of the circular economy
The industry highlights its role in the R-strategies (“Rethink”, “Reduce”, “Reuse/Repair/Refurbish/Remanufacture”, “Recycle”). Adhesives enable durable, repairable and recyclable products, from vehicles and wind turbines to electronics. Standards such as DIN/TS 54405 support design for disassembly and second-life use.
According to the IVK, adhesive technology is becoming a crucial driver of sustainable product design and resource-efficient value chains in Europe.
