Over the past few years, the aluminium foil market has been moving in one direction — up—and it’s been doing very quietly, without any dramatic spikes. Back in 2018, global use of foil was around 5.3 million tonnes. By 2023, it moved up to 6.1 million tonnes. And if current projections hold, the world will be using close to 7.2 million tonnes by 2028.
What’s curious is how familiar the consumption pattern still looks. In 2023, the industrial sector took 30 per cent of total usage, food and beverage packaging held 21 per cent, semi-rigid containers (SRC) formats accounted for 17 per cent, household foil for 13 per cent, other consumer uses for 9 per cent, and pharmaceuticals for 10 per cent.
Even by 2028, the distribution barely changes: industrial demand edges to 32 per cent, food and beverage slips to 20 per cent, SRC stays fixed at 17 per cent, pharmaceuticals hold at 10 per cent, household foil moves to 12 per cent, and the remaining consumer uses stay at 9 per cent. Aluminium foil’s long-standing appeal—its ability to shield products, its recyclability, its reliability in both harsh and everyday environments is helping to keep the proportions in place.
Industrial and consumer applications behind the numbers
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