TWO Packaging · Industry Reference
Packaging by the numbers: 26 statistics shaping custom packaging in 2026
A source-checked reference on what the packaging market is worth, why packaging moves buyers, and where custom, sustainable, and regulated packaging are headed. Every figure is attributed to a named research firm, consumer study, or federal rule — cite freely.
The custom & digital packaging market
Custom packaging is a growing slice of a very large printed-packaging market — and the digital, short-run end is growing fastest, which is exactly what makes designing your own packaging online viable.
Global custom packaging market, 2024 to 2033 — a 5.2% CAGR (2025–2033).
Share of global custom-packaging revenue held by North America — the largest of any region (2024).
Global packaging-printing market, 2024 to 2030 — a 6.8% CAGR.
Digital print for packaging, 2025 to 2030 — a 10.9% CAGR, outpacing every analog method.
The short-run, made-to-order end of this market is the fastest-growing part of packaging. That's the shift behind TWOFORM — TWO Packaging's online design studio, where you design a real, production-ready package and order it directly.
Packaging drives buying decisions
The case for spending on packaging, in consumers' own words. The oldest studies here are dated in-line so you always know the vintage.
of Americans agree a product's packaging design can influence their purchase decision.
say paper or cardboard packaging makes a product feel premium or high quality.
of online shoppers are more likely to buy again from a brand that uses premium, branded packaging.
would buy from a competitor — or stop buying entirely — after a damaged online order.
Sustainability is now a buying factor
Willingness to pay for sustainable packaging is real and measurable — and the newest, largest studies (2023–2025) put hard numbers on it.
of consumers in every country surveyed will pay more for sustainable packaging — over 70% in Mexico, Brazil, India & China.
say they're more likely to buy from a brand whose packaging is eco-friendly.
have switched to a competing brand because it offered more sustainable packaging.
Five-year sales growth for products making ESG/sustainability claims vs. those making none (600k SKUs, ~$400B U.S. revenue).
Flexible packaging, pouches, cartons & boxes
The formats TWO Packaging makes, sized. Stand-up pouches are the fastest-growing flexible format; e-commerce keeps corrugated climbing.
Global flexible packaging market, 2024 to 2030 — a 4.9% CAGR.
Stand-up pouches market (2023) and its CAGR through 2030 — the fastest-growing flexible format.
Folding-carton packaging market, 2024 to 2030 — a 4.4% CAGR.
Projected global corrugated-box market by 2030 (5.1% CAGR) — e-commerce is the named driver.
Cannabis & regulated-CPG packaging
A fast-growing, compliance-driven category TWO Packaging serves — child-resistant, tamper-evident, and state-compliant by design.
Projected global cannabis-packaging market — a 22.7% CAGR (2024–2030), among the fastest in all of packaging.
U.S. cannabis-packaging market, 2023 to 2030 — a 28.9% CAGR.
U.S. state with a legal cannabis market requires child-resistant packaging meeting federal Poison Prevention Packaging Act standards.
Global child-resistant packaging market, 2024 to 2030 — a 4.7% CAGR.
Selling a regulated product? TWO Packaging builds child-resistant, compliance-ready packaging in the U.S. — and you can lay out your design online first at TWOFORM.
Citing these statistics
Journalists, bloggers, and researchers are welcome to cite this page. Please link to the original source for each figure, and — where helpful — credit TWO Packaging as the compiler.
Compiled by TWO Packaging, a U.S. packaging manufacturer · Design it online at TWOFORM · Figures reflect each source's most recently published estimate as of July 2026; forecast base years are noted per stat. This page is informational and not investment advice.