INDUSTRIES & MARKETS

Paper packaging industry

worldwide
 Table of Contents

01 Overview Revenue of leading paper packaging companies worldwide 2021 20

International Paper's revenue 2023, by segment 21
Global production volume of paper and paperboard 2010-2022, by type 03
Mondi Group's revenue 2016-2022, by segment 22
Global paper demand 2021, by type 04
WestRock revenue 2020-2023, by segment 23
Global paperboard packaging export value 2000-2022, by type 05
Stora Enso's total revenue 2020-2022, by segment 24

02 Trade Smurfit Kappa's revenue 2017-2022, by product 25

Global paperboard and packaging paper export volume 2022, by country 07

05 Outlook
Global cartonboard exports 2022, by major country 08
Global paper and paperboard packaging market size 2024-2029 27
Global cartonboard imports 2022, by major country 09
Global market value of corrugated boards 2022-2032 28
Global containerboard imports 2022, by major country 10
Containerboard consumption worldwide 2021-2032 29
Global containerboard exports 2022, by major country 11
Global cartonboard consumption 2021-2032 30
Global wrapping papers exports 2022, by major country 12

03 Production
Global production volume of packaging paper and paperboard 1961-2022 14
Global cartonboard production 2000-2022 15
Global production of containerboard 2000-2022 16
Global paperboard and packaging paper production 2000-2022, by select country 17
Global production of paperboard and packaging paper 2022, by country 18

04 Companies

1
CHAPTER 01

Overview
 Production volume of paper and paperboard worldwide from 2010 to
2022, by type (in 1,000 metric tons)
Global production volume of paper and paperboard 2010-2022, by type

Packaging paper and board Graphic paper Others

450,000

400,000
Production in thousand metric tons

350,000

300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

3 Description: In 2022, approximately 91 million metric tons of graphic paper were produced worldwide. Meanwhile, packaging paper and board production amounted to 265 million metric tons. Overall, the quantity of paper and paperboard produced worldwide in
2022 weighed more than 414 million metric tons. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2010 to 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Paper demand worldwide in 2021, by type (in million tons)
Global paper demand 2021, by type

200
186
180

160

140
Demand in million tons

120

100
84
80

60 54 53
41
40

20

0
Containerboard Printing and writing paper Specialty paper Cartonboard Tissue

4 Description: Global containerboard demand totaled 186 million tons in 2021. This accounted for roughly 44 percent of global paper and paperboard demand that year. The second most in-demand end-use was printing and writing paper, which had a total global
demand of 84 million tons. Overall, packaging accounted for 56 percent of global paper demand in 2021. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2021
Source(s): AFRY; Suzano
 Export value of paper packaging worldwide from 2000 to 2022, by type (in
billion U.S. dollars)
Global paperboard packaging export value 2000-2022, by type

Containerboard Cartonboard Wrapping paper

70

60
Export value in billion U.S. dollars

50

40

30

20

10

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

5 Description: Global exports of cartonboard were valued at 24.57 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The export value of cartonboard has increased significantly over the past two decades, having risen from just 8.2 billion U.S. dollars in the year 2000. Cartonboard, or
boxboard, is a type of paperboard used for manufacturing folding cartons. Meanwhile, corrugated case materials - also called containerboard - had an export value of 24.57 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2000 to 2022
Source(s): FAO
CHAPTER 02

Trade
 Export volume of paperboard and packaging paper in selected countries
worldwide in 2022 (in million metric tons)
Global paperboard and packaging paper export volume 2022, by country

Exports in million metric tons

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

United States 8.43

Germany 8.19

Sweden 6.34

Finland 4.43

China 3.94

France 2.59

Canada 2.09

Austria 2.02

Poland 2.01

Russia 1.88

7 Description: The United States was the leading exporter of packaging paper and paperboard in 2022, exporting 8.43 million metric tons worth. This was followed by the United States, which exported approximately 8.3 million metric tons. That same year, Germany
was also the second largest importer of packaging paper and paperboard worldwide. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Leading exporters of cartonboard worldwide in 2022 (in 1,000 metric tons)
Global cartonboard exports 2022, by major country

Exports in thousand metric tons

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000

Sweden 3,364.76

China 3,191.32

Finland 2,743.36

United States 2,120.25

Germany 2,039.84

South Korea 597.4

India 593.7

Italy 435.81

Belgium 434.32

Canada 419.6

8 Description: Sweden was the world's largest exporter of cartonboard in 2022, with shipments amounting to 3.36 million metric tons. China was the second-largest exporter of cartonboard that year, followed by Finland, the United States, and Germany. Global
cartonboard exports had a value of some 27.39 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Leading importers of cartonboard worldwide in 2022 (in 1,000 metric tons)
Global cartonboard imports 2022, by major country

Imports in thousand metric tons

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600

Germany 1,458.64

United States 1,361.65

Poland 990.57

Italy 910.85

Turkey 885

France 777.17

United Kingdom 726.75

China 637.4

Belgium 610.61

Canada 609.3

9 Description: Germany was the world's largest importer of cartonboard in 2022, with imports amounting to approximately 1.5 million metric tons. The United States and Poland were the second and third-largest importers that year, at 1.4 and 990.57 thousand metric
tons, respectively. Cartonboard, which is also known as boxboard, is a type of paperboard used for manufacturing folding cartons. The global consumption of cartonboard is expected to increase by 27 percent between 2021 and 2032. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Leading importers of corrugated case materials worldwide in 2022 (in
1,000 metric tons)
Global containerboard imports 2022, by major country

Imports in thousand metric tons

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000

China 5,838.29

Germany 2,618.57

Italy 2,291.73

Poland 2,146.64

Mexico 1,472.18

France 1,332.89

United States 1,260.67

Belgium 1,258.09

United Kingdom 1,246.43

Spain 1,037.58

10 Description: China was by far the world's largest importer of corrugated case materials in 2022, with imports amounting to 5.8 million metric tons. Case material, also known as containerboard, is a type of paperboard used to manufacture corrugated board. By weight,
containerboard is the most consumed paper type worldwide. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Leading exporters of corrugated case materials worldwide in 2022 (in
1,000 metric tons)
Global containerboard exports 2022, by major country

Exports in thousand metric tons

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000

United States 5,169.02

Germany 4,770.18

Sweden 1,968.89

France 1,629.93

Poland 1,412.3

Netherlands 1,277

Canada 1,259.69

Austria 1,196.58

Russia 1,156.76

Finland 1,144.13

11 Description: Germany was the world's largest exporter of corrugated case materials in 2022 - with shipments amounting to 5.17 million metric tons - closely followed by the United States. Case material, also known as containerboard, is a type of paperboard used to
manufacture corrugated board. U.S. based International Paper is a leading producer of containerboard, with sales of 2.6 million tons in 2022. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Leading exporters of wrapping papers worldwide in 2022 (in 1,000 metric
tons)
Global wrapping papers exports 2022, by major country

Exports in thousand metric tons

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200

Germany 1,097.66

United States 1,017.71

Sweden 969.15

Czechia 566.85

Austria 503.3

Russia 491.59

France 399.49

Finland 354.44

China 343.03

Canada 333.63

12 Description: The United States was the world's largest exporter of wrapping papers in 2022, with shipments amounting to approximately 1.1 million metric tons. Wrapping papers refer to products that require strength and durability, such as industrial bags and
grocery bags. The U.S. produced 2.4 million metric tons of kraft wrapping and packaging in recent years, which was more than any other country. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
CHAPTER 03

Production
 Production of packaging paper and paperboard worldwide from 1961 to
2022 (in million metric tons)
Global production volume of packaging paper and paperboard 1961-2022

300

250
Production in million metric tons

200

150

100

50

0
1961196319651967196919711973197519771979198119831985198719891991199319951997199920012003200520072009201120132015201720192021

14 Description: The global production of packaging paper and paperboard reached a high of 265 million metric tons in 2022. The production volume of packaging paper and paperboard has increased massively since 1961, when just 24 million metric tons were produced
worldwide. China is the leading packaging paper producer worldwide, having seen production volumes increase considerably in recent decades. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 1961 to 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Production of cartonboard worldwide from 2000 to 2022 (in million metric
tons)
Global cartonboard production 2000-2022

60

50
Production in million metric tons

40

30

20

10

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

15 Description: The global production volume of cartonboard amounted to 50.6 million metric tons in 2022. Production of cartonboard reached a high of over 51 million metric tons in 2017. Global cartonboard consumption is expected to reach 66 million metric tons by
2032. Cartonboard - or folding boxboard - is used in cartons for products such as food and pharmaceutical packaging. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2000 to 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Production of corrugated case materials worldwide from 2000 to 2022 (in
million metric tons)
Global production of containerboard 2000-2022

200

180

160
Production in million metric tons

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

16 Description: The global production volume of corrugated case materials amounted to 183.26 million metric tons in 2022. Since the beginning of the century, worldwide case materials production has increased by more than 90 percent. Case material - or
containerboard - is a type of paperboard mainly used in the manufacture of corrugated board. Global containerboard consumption is expected to increase to more than 220 million tons by 2031. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2000 to 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Production of packaging paper and paperboard in selected countries
worldwide from 2000 to 2022 (in million metric tons)
Global paperboard and packaging paper production 2000-2022, by select country

China United States Japan Germany India

90

80
Production in million metric tons

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2021 2022

17 Description: China produced 79.07 million metric tons of packaging paper and paperboard in 2022, more than any other country across the globe. China has been the largest paper packaging and paperboard producer since 2008. Prior to this, the United States was
the largest producer. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
 Production of paperboard and packaging paper in selected countries
worldwide in 2022 (in million metric tons)
Global production of paperboard and packaging paper 2022, by country

Production in million metric tons

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

China 79.07

United States 48.83

Japan 12.74

Germany 12.54

India 10.04

South Korea 7.62

Brazil 6.86

Russia 6.21

Sweden 6.14

Indonesia 5.7

18 Description: China produced 79.07 million metric tons of paperboard and packaging paper in 2022, making it the top producer worldwide. The United States was the second-largest producing country, with an output of nearly 48.83 million metric tons. In previous
decades the U.S. was the leading paperboard and packaging paper producer, but in 2008 production in China surpassed that of the U.S. and has remained above it since. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022
Source(s): FAO
CHAPTER 04

Companies
 Revenue of leading paper packaging companies worldwide in 2021 (in
billion U.S. dollars)
Revenue of leading paper packaging companies worldwide 2021

Revenue in billion U.S. dollars

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

International Paper (U.S.) 19.36

WestRock (U.S.) 18.75

Oji Holdings (Japan) 12.32

Stora Enso (Finland) 11.51

Smurfit Kappa (Ireland) 11.44

Nippon Paper Industries Ltd. (Japan) 9.16

Mondi Group (UK) 8.74

DS Smith (UK) 8.34

Packaging Corporation of America (U.S.) 7.73

Rengo Co. Ltd (Japan) 6.17

20 Description: International Paper was the world's largest paper packaging company in 2021, with a reported revenue of 19.36. That year, the number of International Paper employees averaged 38,200. WestRock - another U.S. based company, was second-largest
paper packaging company in 2021, with revenue of almost 19 billion U.S. dollars. Most of WestRock's revenue is generated by its corrugated packaging segment. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2021
Source(s): Statista estimates; Various sources (Company reports)
 International Paper's revenue worldwide in 2023, by operating segment (in
million U.S. dollars)
International Paper's revenue 2023, by segment

Revenue in million U.S. dollars

-2,000 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000

North American Industrial Packaging 14,293

Global Cellulose Fibers 2,890

EMEA Industrial Packaging 1,398

Corporate & Inter-segment Sales 430

Intra-segment Eliminations -95

21 Description: International Paper Company's North American industrial packaging segment revenue was 14 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. This was far more than any of the company's other reportable segments. As a result of the Sylvamo Corporation spin-off and the
sale of Kwidzyn, International Paper no longer has a Printing Papers segment. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2023
Source(s): International Paper
 Mondi Group's revenue worldwide from 2016 to 2022, by operating
segment (in million euros)
Mondi Group's revenue 2016-2022, by segment

Corrugated Packaging Flexible Packaging Engineered Materials Uncoated Fine Paper

5,000

4,500 4,299

4,000
Revenue in million euros

3,500
2,889 2,991
3,000 2,708 2,708
2,634 2,667
2,492 2,510
2,500
2,115 2,014
1,832 1,877 1,879
2,000 1,720 1,798 1,758
1,652
1,569 1,613
1,485
1,500
1,054 1,028 984 979
1,000 801 876

500

0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

22 Description: Mondi Group's flexible packaging segment reported revenue of 4.3 billion euros in 2022. This was an increase compared with the previous year. Mondi Group's corrugated packaging segment generated three billion euros in 2022. In 2019, Mondi
accounted for one percent of the global containerboard market. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2016 to 2022
Source(s): Mondi
 WestRock revenue from 2020 to 2023, by segment (in million U.S. dollars)
WestRock revenue 2020-2023, by segment

Corrugated packaging Consumer packaging Global paper Distribution Land and development
12,000

10,054.9
10,000 9,307.6
Revenue in million U.S. dollars

8,400.5
7,790.2
8,000

5,930.25,930.2
6,000
4,749.6 4,983 4,965.2 4,941.8
4,190.4 4,433.9 4,369.9
4,000

2,000 1,254.8 1,260.7

1,102.4

18.9
0
2020 2021 2022 2023

23 Description: WestRock's corrugated packaging segment generated revenue of 10.05 billion U.S. dollars for the year ended September 30, 2023. WestRock is a leading paper packaging company, and in 2019 accounted for four percent of the global containerboard
market. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide, United States; 2020 to 2023
Source(s): WestRock
 Stora Enso's total revenue from 2020 to 2022, by segment (in million
euros)
Stora Enso's total revenue 2020-2022, by segment

2020 2021 2022

5,000 4,690
4,500
3,898
4,000
Revenue in million euros

3,500
3,115
3,000
2,519
2,500 2,311
2,195 2,180
2,046 1,979
2,000 1,872
1,728 1,703 1,772
1,386
1,500 1,193 1,092 1,097
928
1,000 723 737
594
500

0
Packaging Materials Forest Wood Products Biomaterials Paper Other Packaging Solutions

24 Description: Stora Enso's packaging materials segment reported sales of 4.7 billion euros for the year ended 31 December, 2022. This was an increase compared with the previous year. Sales from Stora Enso's packaging solutions segment, which develops and sells
fiber-based packaging, were 737 million euros in 2022. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Stora Enso is a global supplier of pulp and paper products such as wood products, paper, packaging materials, and biomaterials. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide, Finland; 2020 to 2022
Source(s): Stora Enso
 Global revenue of Smurfit Kappa from 2017 to 2022, by product (in million
euros)
Smurfit Kappa's revenue 2017-2022, by product

Paper Packaging
14,000

12,000

10,000
Revenue in million euros

8,000
10,733

6,000 8,566
7,160 7,436 7,629
7,318
4,000

2,000

1,510 1,541 2,082

1,402 1,419 1,212
0
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

25 Description: Smurfit Kappa's packaging segment revenue was 10.7 billion euros for the year ended 31 December, 2022. This accounted for roughly 84 percent of Smurfit Kappa's total revenue that year. The majority Smurfit Kappa's revenue is generated from
corrugated product sales. Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading paper packaging companies worldwide. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide, Ireland; 2017 to 2022
Source(s): Smurfit Kappa
CHAPTER 05

Outlook
 Market size of paperboard packaging worldwide in 2024, with a forecast to
2029 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Global paper and paperboard packaging market size 2024-2029

600

501.08
500
Market size in billion U.S. dollars

398.65
400

300

200

100

0
2024* 2029**

27 Description: The global paper and paperboard packaging market size was estimated at 398.65 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. It is forecast that the paper and paperboard packaging market size will increase in the coming years to reach a value of more than 501.08 billion
U.S. dollars by 2029. Much of this growth is expected to come from the growing demand for corrugated boxes from the e-commerce industry. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2024 to 2029; *Estimate, **Based on CAGR of 5.0% during the forecast period (2024-2029) Read more
Source(s): Mordor Intelligence
 Corrugated boards market size worldwide in 2022, with a forecast for 2032
(in billion U.S. dollars)
Global market value of corrugated boards 2022-2032

250
230.6

200
Market value in billion U.S. dollars

154.3
150

100

50

0
2022 2032*

28 Description: The global corrugated boards market was valued at 154.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The market is expected to reach a value of almost 230.6 billion U.S. dollars by 2028, registering a CAGR of 7.4 percent for the forecast period 2022 to 2032. Corrugated
packaging is used across many industries, such as food and electronics. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022; *CAGR of 7.4% from 2021 to 2028 Read more
Source(s): Spherical insights
 Containerboard consumption worldwide from 2021 to 2032 (in million
tons)
Containerboard consumption worldwide 2021-2032

250
226
220 221
213
204 208
198 199
200 186 190
182 185
Demand in million tons

150

100

50

0
2021 2022* 2023* 2024* 2025* 2026* 2027* 2028* 2029* 2030* 2031* 2032*

29 Description: Global containerboard consumption was estimated to be 186 million tons in 2021. The demand for containerboard is expected to increase over the next decade, reaching 226 million tons by 2032. Containerboard was the most in-demand paper product
worldwide in 2021, followed by printing and writing paper. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022; *Forecast. Most recent update available, yet not considering COVID-19 potential impacts. Read more
Source(s): AFRY; Suzano
 Cartonboard consumption worldwide from 2021 to 2032 (in million tons)
Global cartonboard consumption 2021-2032

70 66
64 65
61 62
59 60
60 58
55 56
53 54
Demand in million metric tons

50

40

30

20

10

0
2021 2022* 2023* 2024* 2025* 2026* 2027* 2028* 2029* 2030* 2031* 2032*

30 Description: Global cartonboard consumption was estimated at 53 million tons in 2021. The demand for cartonboard is expected to increase further over the next decade, reaching 66 million tons by 2032. Cartonboard, or boxboard, is a type of paperboard used for
manufacturing folding cartons. Read more
Note(s): Worldwide; 2022; *Forecast. Most recent update available, yet not considering COVID-19 potential impacts. Read more
Source(s): AFRY; Suzano
 Sources

AFRY
FAO
International Paper
Mondi
Mordor Intelligence
Smurfit Kappa
Spherical insights
Statista
Statista estimates
Stora Enso
Suzano
Various sources (Company reports)
WestRock

31