The global consumption of paper and cardboard was approximately *** million metric tons in 2023 - a decrease when compared with the previous year. The global consumption of paper and paperboard has increased almost ** percent, relative to 1990 levels. Global paper consumption is projected to further increase in the coming decades, surpassing *** million metric tons by 2030. Which country consumes the most paper? China is by far the largest consumer of paper worldwide, having consumed ***** million metric tons of paper and paperboard in 2023. This represented nearly ******* of the total paper consumption worldwide. China was followed by the United States, which consumed **** million metric tons. E-commerce boosts production As with consumption, paper production has been increasing worldwide. Although the production of graphic paper has been falling in the age of digitalization, the demand for packaging paper and board has been increasing annually. The growth in packaging production has been fueled by the online shopping boom, with a growing need for containerboard – a material used in the manufacture of corrugated board.

The global consumption of paper and paperboard totaled 420 million tons in 2023. Consumption is projected to continue rising over the coming decade to reach 476 million tons by 2032. Packaging accounts for the largest share of global paper and paperboard production. Most consumed paper and paperboard type Containerboard was the most consumed paper and paperboard type in 2023, at 185 million tons. Global containerboard demand is expected to increase to more than 220 million tons by 2030. Containerboard is an important paperboard type used in the manufacturing of corrugated boards. Which country produces the most paper and paperboard? The United States was the world’s largest producer of paper and paperboard until the mid-2000s. Since then, China has become the leading producer, with an output of 128 million metric tons in 2022. Other leading paper and paperboard producers include Japan, Germany, and India.

Case materials was the most consumed paper and paperboard type in the United States in 2023, at 29.09 million metric tons. Printing and writing papers followed with a total of 7.96 million metric tons consumed.

The United States consumed approximately 58.3 million metric tons of paper and paperboard in 2023. This was a decrease in comparison to the previous year. Nevertheless, when compared to 2000 levels, paper and paperboard consumption in the North American country has declined by roughly 38 percent. The United States is the second-largest consumer of paper and paperboard worldwide, behind China.

The global consumption of pulp for paper amounted to 194.4 million metric tons in 2023. Pulp consumption has tripled worldwide since the 1960s. There have been several noticeable drops in consumption over the past 60 years. The greatest declined occurred during the global financial crises in 2008 and 2009.

The statistic shows paper consumption in the printing industry in China in 2022, by region. In 2022, paper consumption in Hebei province in China amounted to around 31.9 million ream.

China is the world's largest consumer of paper and paperboard by far, consuming approximately *** million metric tons worth in 2023. This was over ** percent of global paper and paperboard consumption that year. Global paper and paperboard consumption The two largest consumers of paper and paperboard are China and the United States. Together, these two countries accounted for approximately half the quantity of paper and paperboard consumed worldwide in 2023. The per capita consumption of paper and paperboard in China was around ** kilograms, lower than the average global figure. What is the most consumed paper type? The global demand for containerboard is far higher than for any other paper type. In 2023, containerboard demand was estimated at *** million tons, accounting for more than ** percent of global paper demand that year. In comparison, the demand for printing and writing paper was ** million tons.

This statistic illustrates the per capita consumption of paper and board in the United States from 2003 to 2019. In 2019, the per capita consumption of paper and board in the United States amounted to 446 pounds.

This statistic shows the paper consumption worldwide in 2016, by region. In that year, some 190.22 million tons of paper was consumed in Asia. Europe was the world's second-largest paper consumer that year, consuming some 92.47 million tons. Total world paper consumption in 2016 amounted to 398.5 million metric tons.

This statistic shows the distribution of paper consumption worldwide in 2016, by category. In that year, wrapping and packaging paper accounted for some 55 percent of the paper consumed worldwide.

Global paper demand in 2023 was dominated by containerboard product type, accounting for *** million tons, or roughly ** percent of total paper and paperboard demand. Traditional printing and writing paper products saw comparatively lower demand at ** million tons. Shifting trends in the global paper industry While graphic paper production declined by over ** percent between 2010 and 2023, packaging paper and board production increased by approximately ** percent during the same period. This trend aligns with the high demand for containerboard and shows the shift in the paper industry towards packaging materials, driven in part by the rise of e-commerce. Looking ahead, global containerboard demand is expected to surpass *** million tons by 2030, further cementing its position as the most consumed paper and paperboard type. Paper industry leaders worldwide China and the United States are the largest paper producers, with China's output reaching *** million metric tons in 2023. China also led global paper and paperboard consumption, utilizing over *** million metric tons in 2023, which represents ** percent of global consumption. The U.S. follows as the second-largest consumer, with these two nations together accounting for about half of worldwide paper and paperboard production and consumption.

Approximately 52 million tons of printing and writing paper was consumed worldwide in 2023. Forecasts indicate that the demand for printing and writing paper will steadily increase over the next decade, reaching 58 million tons by 2030. Global graphics paper production decreased by more than 35 percent between 2010 and 2022.

In 2023, the paper and paperboard consumed per capita in France reached over 105 kilograms. In the previous decades, the consumption of paper and paperboard has decreased steadily. It fluctuated from approximately 136 kilograms in 2013 and 2014 to less than 120 kilograms in 2020.

This statistic shows the paper consumption per capita worldwide in 2016, by region. In that year, North America had a per capita paper consumption of 213 kilograms. Comparatively, Africa's per capita consumption of paper was eight kilograms.

Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) member countries consumed **** million metric tons of containerboards in 2023, making it the most consumed paper and board grade by far. Meanwhile, newsprint consumption continued its sustained decline. In 2023, the whole industry of paper had a decline in consumption compared to 2022 in all of its areas.

In 2022, the consumption volume of paper in Japan amounted to close to 11.15 million metric tons. Figures decreased continuously throughout the past decade, likely due to the digitalization of paper products such as printing and writing papers.

Japan remained one of the largest paper manufacturers  Even though its paper production decreased throughout the past decade, Japan remained the third-largest producer of paper and cardboard, following China and the United States. Furthermore, Japanese companies such as Oji Holdings and Nippon Paper continued to rank among the leading paper companies worldwide. Most of the paper that was manufactured in Japan was used for printing and communication, newsprint, sanitary tissue as well as paper packaging.

 Paper packaging as a more sustainable alternative to plastic In recent years, some Japanese companies started to use paper products to reduce plastic waste. Paper and paperboard products made up the majority of packaging material shipments in Japan. The demand for paper packaging is expected to continue to rise as paper is considered more sustainable than plastic. Although the production cost of paper is usually higher than for plastic, the paper alternatives are more compact and recyclable. Amounting to around 81 percent, paper had one of the highest recycling rates in Japan, posing a more environmentally friendly alternative.

The global consumption of specialty papers was estimated at 83 million tons in 2023. Demand for specialty papers is expected to decline over the next decade, amounting to 74 million tons by 2032.

Consumption of paper and paperboard in Spain decreased from approximately seven million metric tons in 2022 to roughly 6.3 million tons in 2023. Paper and paperboard consumption in the European country peaked in 2018.

In 2019, the annual paper and paper board consumption per person in Japan reached around 199 kilograms. Figures peaked in 2011, amounting to about 218 kilograms per person, but indicated a continuous downward trend starting from 2014. Japan was one of the world's largest paper producing countries in recent years.

In 2022, around 9.08 million tons of paper was consumed in South Korea. This represents a further decrease in consumption compared to the previous year. The production volume of paper lay at around 11.6 million tons, outweighing domestic consumption.