IDC: 2018 3D Printing Spending to Reach $12bn

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According to IDC global 3D printing spending (including hardware, materials, software and services) will reach $12 billion in 2018-- a 19.9% increase over 2017-- before growing to $20bn in 2020.

IDC 3D printing

Together 3D printers and materials will account for around 66% of global spending throughout the forecast period, reaching $6.9bn and $6.7bn respectively in 2021. Services spending trails slightly behind, reaching $5.5bn in 2021 as led by on-demand parts service and systems integration services. 3DP software purchases show less growth than the overall market, with a 5-year CAGR of 18.6%.

The dominant 3D printing industry is discrete manufacturing, delivering over 50% of all WW spending throughout the 2017-2021 period. Healthcare is the 2nd largest industry with spending reaching $1.3bn in 2018, followed by education ($974 million) and consumer ($831m). IDC predicts professional services and retail to beat the consumer segment by 2021, while the resource industries and healthcare are the fastest growing industries (in terms of 3D printing spending) over the 5-year forecast.

"3D printing solutions have moved well beyond prototyping, to become prevalent within and across multiple industries," IDC adds. "Parts for new products, aftermarket parts, dental objects, and medical support objects will continue to see significant growth opportunities over the next 5 years as 3D printing goes more mainstream. The healthcare industry is also poised to double its share of spend through 2021 as the benefits of cost-effective customized printing continue to be realised."

W. Europe is the 2nd biggest region in 3D printing spending, with the US coming 1st. Together the two regions provide nearly 66% of all 3D printing spending throughout the forecast. China is the 3rd largest region, followed by CEE and MEA. CEE is one of the regions showing fastest growth during the 2017-2021 period with a 26% CAGR (the fastest is Latin America with 27.2 CAGR), and 6 of the 9 geographic regions will see a CAGR of over 20% during the period.

Go IDC WW Semiannual 3D Printing Spending Guide