Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
Frankfurt, Germany
Last Updated: April 2024
WZ C17.21DERevenue
€16.8bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
€XXX.Xm
Employees
54,440
Businesses
357
Wages
€X.Xbn
Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany industry analysis
The paper and cardboard packaging industry has been able to rely on stable demand over the last five years, although turnover has not developed very dynamically during this period. Total sales in the industry only grew at an average rate of 0.9% per year between 2019 and 2024. Strong competition on the market forced companies to offer their products on the market at comparatively favourable prices despite rising raw material prices, which also reduced their profit margins.In 2021 and 2022, industry players were faced with relatively low corrugated and cardboard prices and high raw material costs. Last year, the players also had to accept a significant drop in sales due to the cooling of the consumer climate in the meantime. In the current year, the industry should return to a more stable sales situation due to an increase in demand. The industry's total turnover is expected to increase by 5.2% year-on-year to €16.8 billion in 2024.For the next five years, IBISWorld expects moderate industry growth. The industry's turnover is expected to increase by an average of 1.4% per year during this period, reaching 18 billion euros in 2029. The companies see further sales potential in food and online retail in particular, as well as in the production of more sustainable and intelligent packaging that uses built-in sensors to provide information about the goods. The production of such products or the use of alternative materials opens up opportunities for smaller players in particular to specialise in niches and attract customers.
Trends and Insights
- The increasing demand for packaging materials is stimulating the use of alternative fibre materials in paper production. One current trend in the packaging industry, for example, is packaging made from grass paper.
- Cardboard boxes and folding boxes made of cardboard and paperboard generate the largest share of sales. In the past five years, the share of sales in this product category has increased due to the steady growth in online mail order business.
- The four federal states of the Central Region account for the largest share of companies in the sector. North Rhine-Westphalia, as the most populous federal state, has the highest number of companies.
- Intense competition limits the profit margins of industry players. Big buyers in particular use their considerable negotiating power to drive down prices.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €16.8bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
Government and companies are increasingly focussing on sustainable packaging
- Manufacturers of packaging made from paper, cardboard or paperboard are benefiting from the ecological change in society. Many companies are increasingly abandoning the use of plastic packaging in favour of packaging made from more environmentally friendly materials.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Digitalisation in logistics is also likely to reach paper and cardboard packaging in the coming years
- A current trend in the packaging industry is so-called intelligent packaging. These are products that can communicate with technical devices and pass on information thanks to new technologies.
Biggest companies in the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue (€m)
2024 |
|---|---|---|
Smurfit Kappa Group | 1,515.0 | |
Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG | 1,345.0 | |
Thimm Holding GmbH + Co. KG | 571.0 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany
Products & Services
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Cardboard boxes and folding boxes made of cardboard and paperboard, Hard paper goods, paper sacks and bags and Other products. Cardboard boxes and folding boxes made of cardboard and paperboard is the largest segment of the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany.
Trends and Insights
Cardboard packaging and folding boxes made of cardboard and paperboard are the most important products in the industry
- The production of packaging made from corrugated board, solid board and cardboard forms the basis of value creation in the industry. While cardboard and solid board are several paper webs pressed together, corrugated board is produced by gluing together various corrugated paper webs with smooth intermediate and top webs.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Plastic Packing Goods Manufacturing in Germany
Complementors
- Plastic Plates, Sheets, Tubes & Profiles Manufacturing in Germany
International industries
- Global Cardboard Box & Container Manufacturing
- Cardboard Box & Container Manufacturing in the US
- Cardboard Box & Container Manufacturing in Canada
- Corrugated Paperboard Container Manufacturing in Australia
- Corrugated Paperboard and Paperboard Container Manufacturing in New Zealand
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
The industry is concerned with the manufacture of packaging made from corrugated paper and cardboard, the production of folding boxes made from cardboard and the manufacture of packaging made from solid cardboard. The manufacture of paper or other paper products is not part of the industry.
What's included in this industry?
Cardboard boxes and folding boxes made of cardboard and paperboardHard paper goods, paper sacks and bagsCompanies
Smurfit Kappa GroupPapierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KGThimm Holding GmbH + Co. KGPurchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
INTERNET OF THINGSRADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID)BATCH SIZESKRAFTLINERIndustry Code
WZ 17.21 - Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
The increasing demand for packaging materials is stimulating the use of alternative fibre materials in paper production. One current trend in the packaging industry, for exam...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Cardboard boxes and folding boxes made of cardboard and paperboard generate the largest share of sales. In the past five years, the share of sales in this product category ha...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
The four federal states of the Central Region account for the largest share of companies in the sector. North Rhine-Westphalia, as the most populous federal state, has the hi...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Intense competition limits the profit margins of industry players. Big buyers in particular use their considerable negotiating power to drive down prices.
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
In response to the increasing demand for packaging for online shipping, Smurfit Kappa has created new service offerings. In 2022, for example, the company opened five e-comme...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Smurfit Kappa Group's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Thimm Holding GmbH + Co. KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Smurfit Kappa Group, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Thimm Holding GmbH + Co. KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
The manufacturers of packaging made of paper, cardboard or paperboard are benefiting from increasing environmental awareness. More and more companies are dispensing with the ...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
The industry's ancillary costs have increased over the past five years. The largest cost items are the expenses for the provision of electricity, steam and water.
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Germany include:
- German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
- European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
- United Nations Comtrade
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany in 2024?
The market size of the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany is €16.8bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany industry in 2024?
There are 357 businesses in the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.1 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 0.9 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing market in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing market in Germany are Smurfit Kappa Group, Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG and Thimm Holding GmbH + Co. KG
What does the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany include?
Cardboard boxes and folding boxes made of cardboard and paperboard and Hard paper goods, paper sacks and bags are part of the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in Germany is Smurfit Kappa Group.
How competitive is the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing industry in Germany.
