Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2016-2031)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 5.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $857.1bn in 2026.
Trends and Insights
Regional advantages and industrial policies are redefining how biotechnology companies expand
- In 2025, countries are reshaping global biotechnology location and scaling decisions by pairing strong science clusters with purposeful industrial policy, especially in biomanufacturing and clearer clinical execution pathways. These shifts are creating a more distributed opportunity set beyond traditional hubs, as new capacities and incentives influence where companies build, test, manufacture and partner.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2026-2031)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
R&D funding will remain a defining constraint
- Sustained access to capital will remain central to biotechnology’s growth, as most companies require years of cash-intensive research and development before reaching commercialization. Even firms with promising science can face setbacks if they cannot fund clinical trials, scale up manufacturing, or complete regulatory workstreams across multiple development cycles. As a result, financing conditions often shape the pace of innovation as much as scientific progress does.
Biggest companies in the Global Biotechnology
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($m)
2025 | Profit ($m)
2025 | Profit Margin (%)
2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Novo Nordisk A/S | 81,344.2 | 34,321.0 | 42.2 | |
Johnson & Johnson | 65,998.9 | 21,295.2 | 32.3 | |
Merck & Co. Inc. | 34,428.3 | N/A | N/A |
To view the market share and analysis for all 7 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 Human health technologies, Industrial technologies and Animal health technologies. Human health technologies is the largest segment of the Global Biotechnology.
Trends and Insights
Biotech is transformative to traditional healthcare delivery
- Healthcare remains the largest and most capital-attractive biotechnology segment globally because it directly addresses high-burden diseases and can generate defensible value through clinical outcomes, IP and reimbursement. Core subsectors encompass diagnostics, therapeutics, genetics and genomics, cell and tissue-based approaches, vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and tissue engineering—ranging from early-stage platform startups to global pharmaceutical incumbents that increasingly partner with or acquire biotech innovators.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Companies in the Global Biotechnology industry use living organisms or molecular and cellular techniques to develop products used in agriculture, food, industrial and medicine production.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Global Biotechnology industry include DNA coding, mapping and sequencing, Processing biotechnologies , Subcellular organism research, Cell and tissue culture and engineering , Protein sequencing, synthesis and engineering and Producing biopharmaceuticals.Companies
Companies covered in the Global Biotechnology industry include Novo Nordisk A/S, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. Inc.Purchase this report to view all 7 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Global Biotechnology industry include genetic modification, cloning, gene therapy, venture capital and pharmacogenomics.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
An uncertain funding environment creates challenges for biotechnology. While innovative areas haven’t felt the same funding pressures, the broader global industry has yet to ...
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 (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Employees, including historical (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Businesses, including historical (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Profit, including historical (2016-2026)
- 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
Tariffs will exacerbate delays in clinical trials and drug development timelines as companies scramble to find alternative suppliers. Estimates show that global biotechnology...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2026
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2026
- Major market segmentation in 2026
- 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 United States is the world’s largest biotechnology hub, with a broad concentration of companies, research institutions and supporting infrastructure. Federal research sup...
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 2026
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2026
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2026
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2026
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2026
Detailed analysis
- Business Locations Charts
- Share of global output by region in 2026
- Share of population compared to output in each region in 2026
- Data tables
- Share of global output by region in 2026
- Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Global, 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
Biotechnology companies rely on sustained financing to advance their candidates through R&D, clinical trials and regulatory milestones. In volatile markets and a tighter, mor...
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 2021-2026
- 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
Multinational pharmaceutical companies are leaders in biopharmaceutical production. Pharma producers like Novo Nordisk, Merck and Johnson and Johnson have extensive portfolio...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2022 through 2026
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2026
- Overview of Novo Nordisk A/S's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2020 through 2026
- Overview of Johnson & Johnson's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2020 through 2026
- Overview of Merck & Co. Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2020 through 2026
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 4 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Novo Nordisk A/S, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Johnson & Johnson, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Merck & Co. Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 4 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Biotechnology is governed by a patchwork of national, regional and international rules rather than a single global framework. This fragmentation requires companies to navigat...
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 (2016-2031)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2016-2031)
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
Developing biotechnology products is a knowledge-intensive, highly technical process that relies on in-depth scientific and operational expertise across the spectrum of discov...
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 2026
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2026
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2016-2031)
- Revenue per Employee (2016-2031)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- Employees per Establishment (2016-2031)
- Employees per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- Average Wage (2016-2031)
- Wages/Revenue (2016-2031)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- IVA/Revenue (2016-2031)
- Imports/Demand (2016-2031)
- Exports/Revenue (2016-2031)
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 (2016-2031)
- IVA (2016-2031)
- Establishments (2016-2031)
- Enterprises (2016-2031)
- Employment (2016-2031)
- Exports (2016-2031)
- Imports (2016-2031)
- Wages (2016-2031)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Global Biotechnology industry in 2026?
The market size of the Global Biotechnology industry is $857.1bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Global Biotechnology industry in 2026?
There are 14,304 businesses in the Global Biotechnology industry, which has grown at a CAGR of 7.7 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Global Biotechnology industry?
The Global Biotechnology industry is likely to be impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Global Biotechnology industry?
The Global Biotechnology industry is likely to be significantly impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a high share of industry revenue.
Has the Global Biotechnology industry grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Global Biotechnology industry has been growing at a CAGR of 5.4 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Global Biotechnology industry over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Global Biotechnology industry is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Global Biotechnology industry?
The biggest companies operating in the Global Biotechnology industry are Novo Nordisk A/S, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. Inc.
What does the Global Biotechnology industry include?
DNA coding, mapping and sequencing and Processing biotechnologies are part of the Global Biotechnology industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Global Biotechnology industry?
The company holding the most market share in the Global Biotechnology industry is Novo Nordisk A/S.
How competitive is the Global Biotechnology industry?
The level of competition is very high and increasing in the Global Biotechnology industry.
Methodology
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Key data sources globally include:
- United Nations Comtrade
- Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development
- World Bank
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.
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- Industry and trade associations
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