Catalan packaging companies are growing thanks to the increase in demand, mainly in the food sector

2024-06-06

The packaging sector in Catalonia has experienced significant growth during the years 2023 and 2024, according to data from the Packaging Sector Barometer in Catalonia commissioned by the Packaging Cluster and prepared by the company Market AAD. Specifically, during the year 2023, the majority of supplier companies in the packaging sector – companies that supply packaging and packaging products, equipment and services to companies in various sectors, such as packaging machinery manufacturers, packaging manufacturers or distributors, among others – experienced positive growth in 2023, with 58% of them improving turnover compared to 2022

Looking ahead to 2024, these companies plan to deepen this increase, and 78.5% of them anticipate improvements in turnover compared to 2023. As for client companies – demanding companies in the packaging sector that use products, packaging and packaging equipment and services supplied by supplier companies to develop their activity in sectors other than packaging – the billing data is also solid: in 2023, 73.1% of these companies improved their results compared to 2022, and It is expected that, in 2024, three out of four will exceed the turnover of 2023.

In relation to the recovery of industrial activity, although approximately a third of supplier companies experienced a decrease in their activity in 2023 compared to 2022, these figures improve significantly in the forecasts for 2024, where three out of four companies foresee an increase in their activity. On the other hand, client companies maintain growing activity levels both in 2023 (with 77% of companies improving their activity compared to 2022) and in 2024 (with 67% of companies). In addition, these also present good growth data in production area and production lines.

A notable aspect of the business panorama of the packaging sector is the significant increase in export activity. During 2023, 40% of supplier companies reported an increase in exports compared to the previous year, and these figures remain strong for 2024, with 50% of companies foreseeing continued growth in exports. This trend reflects a growing international demand for Catalan packaging products, highlighting the key role they play in the European market. Furthermore, only 5.8% of companies anticipate a decrease in the volume of exports by 2024, which underlines the confidence and stability in the international projection of the sector.

Despite macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges—increases in energy prices, increased material costs, armed conflicts and market instability—the packaging sector continues to demonstrate its resilience, adaptability and solidity. Despite the adversities, 2023 was a year of increase in profitability indicators for 30% of companies, and the prospects for 2024 are even more promising, with two thirds of them expecting to improve their results.