Iodine Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

Iodine Market Overview

Global Iodine Market size is forecast to reach US$1.3 billion by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period 2022-2027. Iodine is a nonmetallic halogen element that is an essential mineral nutrient in the human diet and is used especially in medicine, photography, and analytical chemistry. At standard conditions, it is a lustrous, purple-black, non-metallic solid that easily dissolves with gentle heat. The Global Iodine Market is growing due to its high usage in the applications such as dyestuffs, fluorochemicals, photography, water treatment, and more. The increasing demand in X-ray contrast media, growing iodine deficiency among people, and vast applications of iodine derivatives such as hydrazine and carbon tetraiodide are likely to drive the demand for iodine. However, the toxicity and health-related issues of iodine, are projected to restrict its market growth during the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 epidemic negatively impacted the iodine demand in a variety of end-use industries, including chemical, pharmaceutical, and more. Due to the closure of non-essential businesses, the outbreak had a significant impact on the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. As this impact dwindled over the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, production was abruptly halted. For instance, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW)’s Annual Pharmaceutical Production Statistics, the Japanese market for prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals in 2020 was US$107 billion (down 0.7 percent from 2019 in yen terms). According to the European Chemical Industry Council (cefic), in Europe, chemical output in the EU27 dropped by 5.2% from January-June 2020 compared to the previous year’s level (January-June 2019). Due to this decrease in production activities, the demand for iodine significantly reduced, which impacted the global market revenue in 2020.

Report Coverage

The report: “Iodine Market Report – Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Iodine Market.

By Source: Caliche Ore, Underground Brines, Recycling and Seaweeds
By Form: Inorganic Salts & Complexes, Organic Compounds, and Elemental & Isotopes
By Application: Optical Polarizing Films, Catalyst & Regents, Photographic Chemicals, Animal Feeds, Fluorochemicals, Human Nutrition, Pesticides, Nylon, Antiseptics, Dyestuffs, Radioactive Tracer, Water Purification Tablets, and Others
By End-Use Industry: Food & Beverage, Medical & Pharmaceutical, Water Treatment, Chemical, Consumer Goods, Inks & Dyes, Agriculture, and Others
By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Belgium, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest of APAC), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Rest of South America), Rest of the World (Middle East, and Africa)

Key Takeaways

• Europe dominates the Iodine Market, owing to the flourishing medical & pharmaceutical industry in the region. Several factors are driving the growth of the European medical & pharmaceutical sector including an aging population, increase in the spending capacity of customers, rising lifestyle diseases, and disposable income.
• The market growth is highly influenced by the increasing adoption of advanced technologies. For instance, the medical sector is highly focused on the development of the equipment that is used in the analysis of the human body; where the radiographic contrast media with the Iodine are used to. Such advancements have augmented the Iodine Market growth in recent times.
• Iodine is utilized in the manufacturing of optical polarizing films used in LCD screens. The changing attitude of the consumers regarding the larger screens is expected to boost the overall growth of the Iodine industry. 
• The decline in several end-user industries such as the animal feed producing industry and electronic industry are expected to affect the growth of the Iodine industry. For instance, the changing preference of the consumers towards vegan and vegetarian has affected the production rate of animal feed, thereby affecting the overall growth of the Iodine industry.

Figure: Europe Iodine Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)

Iodine Market Segment Analysis – By Application

The radioactive tracer segment held the largest share in the Global Iodine Market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period 2022-2027. Iodine is a radioactive tracer, which is a substance with a radioactive isotope that emits radiation as it passes through a medium. The isotope's progress is monitored by a receiver. Iodine is used in medical diagnostics such as X-rays, ultrasounds, and nuclear imaging scans like computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans. Iodine-containing contrast media (ICCM) are commonly used in medical imaging to make hollow structures visible on CT scans, angiograms, myelograms, and arthrograms, such as blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, the subarachnoid space around the brain and spinal cord, and the interior of joints. Thus, all these wide applications of iodine as a radioactive tracer in the medical industry are driving the segment growth during the forecast period.

Iodine Market Segment Analysis – By End-Use Industry

The medical & pharmaceutical segment held the largest share in the Global Iodine Market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period 2022-2027. Iodine is used in X-ray contrast media, pharmaceuticals, iodophors, and povidone-iodine in the medical field (disinfectants). Because of its low toxicity, high atomic number, and ease of adjunction with organic compounds, iodine demand has risen in recent years due to increased demand for X-ray contrast media. Furthermore, iodine is used in pharmaceuticals to make disinfectants, bactericides, and analgesics, among other things (for example, iodine tincture), as well as sodium iodide, potassium iodide, and iodine solution. Iodine's widespread use in the medical and pharmaceutical industries aided the medical and pharmaceutical Iodine Market in 2021. According to the 2019 PMPRB Annual Report, total pharmaceutical sales in Canada increased by 35.3 percent from 2011 to 2019, reaching US$29.9 billion, with 86.7 percent sold to retail drug stores and 13.3 percent to hospitals. As a result of the growing pharmaceutical sector, demand for iodine as an antiseptic, radioactive tracker, and disinfectant is expected to rise significantly, contributing to the segment's growth over the forecast period.

Iodine Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

Europe region held the largest share in the Global Iodine Market in 2021 up to 38%. Increasing expenditure on healthcare systems by the governments has contributed to the growing demand for iodine in the region. Germany's current healthcare expenditure was EUR 403 billion in 2019 — the highest among the EU Member States. France, like last year, has the second-highest level of current healthcare expenditure (EUR 270 billion), followed by Italy (EUR 155 billion) and Spain (EUR 155 billion) (EUR 114 billion). The product is widely used in applications such as X-ray contrast media, and pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom, according to Enterprise Ireland, is a major global hub for pharmaceutical production and is critical to the UK economy. Between 2018 and 2023, the value of the UK pharmaceutical sector is expected to rise 19.3 percent, equating to 3.6 percent annual growth. According to Deutscher Ärzteverlag GmbH, a total of 688,403 fractures were registered in 2019. From 2009 to 2019, the incidence of fractures rose by 14%, to 1014 fractures per 100000 persons per year in Germany. Pharmacies sold Eur 58.8 billion (US$66.6 billion) in drugs in 2019, according to Germany Trade & Invest (GTI). This represents a 5.3 percent increase. It is anticipated that with the increasing fracture, and pharmaceuticals operations in the region, the demand for X-ray contrast media, and antiseptics is likely to increase at a robust pace, thereby driving the Iodine Market in the Europe region.

Iodine Market Drivers

Increasing Prevalence of Cancer

CT scans and X-rays can reveal the shape, size, and location of a tumor. They can even show the blood vessels that nourish the tumor without cutting the patient. Thus, CT scans are frequently used by doctors to guide a needle through a small piece of tissue. And iodine is often used as a contrast agent in X-rays and CT scans. The prevalence of cancer is substantially increasing worldwide, for illustration, according to World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, approximately one out of every six people dies as a result of this disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, 1,806,590 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States in 2020. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States in 2022. In 2020, an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases were diagnosed worldwide. With an estimated 2.3 million new cases, female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. By 2040, the number of additional cancer cases is expected to reach 29.5 million per year, with 16.4 million cancer-related deaths. With the increasing number of cancer patients, the demand for X-rays and CT scans will be on an upsurge. Thus, the market is being driven by the increasing prevalence of cancer patients globally.

Rapid Increase in the Production of LCD Screens

To increase the visibility created on LCDs, polarising films containing iodine are used. Adsorbing iodine onto a stretched polyvinyl alcohol surface produces the polarising sheets used in LCDs. When an electric current is applied to the liquid crystals, they either block or allow polarised light to pass through. The production of LCD screens is rapidly increasing. For example, the Indian government is reportedly planning to invest a sizable sum of 20 billion US dollars in the LCD panel industry in May 2021. This investment will be used to help the country establish manufacturing and supply chains for LCD panels. According to the Japan Electronic Information Technology Association (JEITA), the Production of Liquid crystal devices (LCDs) in Japan increased from 86,005 million yen (US$783.3 million) in January 2021 to 988,755 million yen (US$9.0 billion) in November 2021. With the increasing production of LCD screens, the demand for polarizing films will also exponentially increase, which will aid the Iodine Market growth, thereby acting as a market driver.

Iodine Market Challenges

Health Risks Associated with Iodine

Patients with specific risk factors, such as those with pre-existing thyroid disease, the elderly, fetuses, and neonates, can develop subclinical or overt thyroid dysfunction as a result of iodine excess. Excess iodine has different effects on different people, depending on their underlying thyroid function. Thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid papillary cancer can all be caused by iodine toxicity. Iodine toxicity caused by oral ingestion can manifest itself in a variety of ways, ranging from mild to severe. A brassy taste in the mouth, increased salivation, gastrointestinal irritation, and acneiform skin lesions can all be symptoms of too much iodine. Thyroid function should be monitored in patients who are frequently exposed to iodine-containing radiographic contrast dyes or the drug amiodarone. GI upset, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are mild symptoms that can progress to delirium, stupor, and shock. Thus, these health risks associated with iodine are limiting its market growth during the forecast period.

Iodine Industry Outlook

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Iodine market. Iodine top 10 companies include:

1. Sociedad Química y Minera
2. Iofina PLC
3. ISE Chemicals Corporation
4. IOCHEM Corporation (US)
5. Compañía de Salitre y Yodo
6. and Algorta Norte SA
7. Toyota Tsusho Corporation
8. AZER YOD LLC
9. Algorta Norte S.A.
10. ACF Minera SA 

Recent Developments

• In March 2022, Following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Brussels has accelerated plans to improve the EU's health response in the event of a nuclear incident. The European Commission is attempting to persuade EU members to stockpile iodine pills, protective clothing, and other medical supplies.
• In February 2022, 'Shuddh By Tata Salt,' a new product from Tata Consumer Products, has been launched in a few regional markets across India. Shuddh by Tata Salt is an iodized salt brand that offers consumers affordable access to high-quality branded salt.
• In January 2022, the study published by the Plantlab Laboratory of the Sant'anna Institute of Life Sciences supported by SQM stated that iodine is essential for plants. The discovery opens up new applications to increase agricultural production. 

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