Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.0 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $2.9bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
Pandemic-induced disruptions forced paper product manufacturers to roll out a new supply chain structure
- The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains, systematically shifting manufacturing processes and product offerings. As a pandemic-induced toilet paper craze ignited domestic demand, manufacturers were forced to fill a 20% absence in imports. A squeeze on supply forced manufacturers to shift towards manufacturing toilet paper from scratch, converting bulk stock of toilet and facial tissue into rolls and consumable tissues.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Sustainability claims will come under scrutiny as regulators crack down on greenwashing
- Consumer preferences are increasingly shifting towards sustainably sourced and ethically produced products, encouraging manufacturers to position their product portfolio in line with this category.
Biggest companies in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing in Australia
| Company | Market Share (%)
2026 | Revenue ($m)
2026 |
|---|---|---|
Kimberly-Clark Pacific Holdings | 631.3 | |
ABC Tissue | 608.4 | |
Essity Holding Australia | 232.8 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Personal-care products, Sanitary tissues and Baby products. Personal-care products is the largest segment of the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing in Australia.
Trends and Insights
Sanitary tissues drive industry revenue, but their share of revenue has declined
- The sanitary tissues segment includes toilet and tissue paper, napkins and serviettes, paper towels and antibacterial wipes. Despite accounting for more than half the industry’s revenue, sanitary tissues experience higher seasonality, with consumer demand rising in winter months.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Industry operators primarily manufacture sanitary paper products, including tissues, nappies, napkins, towels and menstrual products. The production process in the sanitary paper products industry involves sourcing raw materials, primarily wood pulp, which is then processed into a slurry, formed into sheets, dried and converted into finished products. These products are typically sold to grocery and paper product wholesalers or directly to retailers.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia include Sanitary tissues, Personal-care products, Baby products, Sanitary bibs, Paper lining and Padding.Companies
Companies covered in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia include Kimberly-Clark Pacific Holdings, ABC Tissue and Essity Holding Australia.Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia include chemical pulp, effluent, cellulose, deinking and bleaching.Industry Code
ANZSIC 1524 - Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing in Australia
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
Amid slowing revenue streams, condensed product offerings and divestments have allowed the industry’s profitability to improve. This has helped established players retain the...
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 (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- 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
International trade conditions favour importers. The combination of an appreciating Australian dollar and strengthening diplomatic relationships with China is placing downwar...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
- 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
Despite its growing population and urbanisation, Queensland is under-represented in the industry. The state's lack of market penetration is due to logistical challenges in tr...
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 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, 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
Expensive capital and spatial requirements provide a moat for established manufacturers, upholding market concentration in the domestic market. Despite a concentrated domesti...
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 2020-2025
- 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
The three largest major players, ABC Tissue, Kimberly-Clark Pacific and Essity, lead the market, generating more than half the industry’s revenue. Operational flexibility pro...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of Kimberly-Clark Pacific Holdings's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of ABC Tissue's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Essity Holding Australia's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Kimberly-Clark Pacific Holdings, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for ABC Tissue, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Essity Holding Australia, 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
National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs) and the Australian Chemical Introduction Scheme (AICS) assure that manufacturers employ operational due diligence to comply wi...
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 (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
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
Increases in production costs have forced manufacturers to reduce expenditure on wages, decreasing long-term operational costs through investment in machinery. While this lif...
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 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
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 (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia in 2025?
The market size of the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia is $2.9bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia in 2025?
There are 46 businesses in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia, which has declined at a CAGR of 4.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia?
The Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia is likely to be impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia?
The Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia?
The biggest companies operating in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia are Kimberly-Clark Pacific Holdings, ABC Tissue and Essity Holding Australia
What does the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia include?
Sanitary tissues and Personal-care products are part of the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia?
The company holding the most market share in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia is Kimberly-Clark Pacific Holdings.
How competitive is the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia?
The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing industry in Australia.
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 Australia include:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Australian Taxation Office
- Australian Securities & Investments Commission
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.
