According to data released recently by the EDANA, the production of nonwovens in Europe increased by 7.2 percent to 3 million tons in 2020, with a total turnover estimated at 955.5 billion euros. The current total production of 27 European Union countries exceeds 2.15 million tons. This growth rate is well above the average annual growth rate of 4 percent over the past decade, driven mainly by high demand for materials used to combat epidemics, double-digit growth in weight and area of both spunbonded and meltblown nonwovens, and significant growth in wet-process nonwovens.

In terms of usage, the most significant growth area for nonwovens in 2020 is in medical and personal wipes, followed by apparel; In contrast, sales of automotive interiors, interlinings, etc., declined significantly, while growth in construction and liquid filtration markets was limited, and growth in agricultural applications was negative.