Pressure-sensitive labels and in-mold labels, as the two dominant mainstream products in the current labeling industry, are widely used across multiple sectors such as food, personal care, pharmaceuticals, and industrial manufacturing due to their differentiated performance advantages. With the ongoing global consumption upgrade and the intelligent evolution of packaging, the market structure and application scenarios of both label types continue to be optimized and enhanced.

Recently, AWA released the “2026 AWA Pressure-Sensitive Label Market Report” and the “2026 AWA In-Mold Label Market Report.” According to the latest data, the global pressure-sensitive label market achieved a 2.5% annual growth rate in 2025. Compared with the strong growth momentum in 2024, the growth pace has slightly slowed, and the industry has overall entered a stable and normalized development stage.

In-mold labels are most prominent in the European market, accounting for 56% of total shipments. It is forecast that the global in-mold label market will maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.3% from 2025 to 2028, indicating steady industry expansion.

Global Development Trends of the Pressure-Sensitive Label Market

From a global regional perspective, the Asia-Pacific region remains the largest market for pressure-sensitive labels worldwide, followed by Europe and North America as the second and third largest markets respectively. These three core regions dominate the global development landscape of the pressure-sensitive label industry.

The Asia-Pacific market continues to generate strong demand, driven by its large-scale downstream consumption, electronics manufacturing, and logistics industries, making it the key growth engine of the global pressure-sensitive label market. In contrast, the European and North American markets are driven by high-end packaging and brand-oriented consumer demand, with a focus on the upgrading of high-quality, intelligent, and environmentally friendly pressure-sensitive label solutions.

The food and beverage industry is the largest application segment for pressure-sensitive labels. The rapid rise of subcategories such as prepared meals, ready-to-eat snacks, functional beverages, and low-temperature dairy products continues to drive the expansion of label demand. This application scenario places extremely high requirements on labels in terms of waterproof performance, low-temperature resistance, and food safety compliance. As a result, high-end laminated and moisture-resistant pressure-sensitive labels are seeing continuous penetration. Meanwhile, growing consumer demand for food traceability and information transparency is also accelerating the adoption of intelligent pressure-sensitive labels with anti-counterfeiting and traceability functions.

The personal care and cosmetics sector is the second-largest application market. High-end cosmetics and skincare products tend to use transparent pressure-sensitive labels and hot-stamping label designs, leveraging high-definition printing and premium texture to enhance brand positioning. In contrast, mass-market personal care products mainly use cost-effective coated paper pressure-sensitive labels, balancing practicality and aesthetics. At the same time, removable and residue-free eco-friendly labels are experiencing rapid growth in this sector, aligning with trends toward recyclable packaging and sustainable product iterations.

The logistics, express delivery, and retail sectors represent essential demand-driven application scenarios for pressure-sensitive labels. Thermal pressure-sensitive labels, barcode tracking labels, and waterproof and scratch-resistant logistics labels are widely used in shipping waybills, warehouse traceability systems, and retail price tags, supporting the efficient operation of global supply chains. With the development of cross-border logistics and smart warehousing, demand for functional pressure-sensitive labels with scanning identification and data traceability capabilities continues to increase.

In addition, the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector and the new energy and electronics sector have become the fastest-growing sub-segments. In the pharmaceutical industry, driven by increasingly stringent global drug regulations, both prescription medicines and health supplements are required to carry compliant traceability labels, which is steadily boosting demand for medical-grade, waterproof, and tamper-evident pressure-sensitive labels.

In the new energy battery and consumer electronics sectors, demand for specialty pressure-sensitive labels with high temperature resistance, anti-static properties, and anti-metal performance has surged, making them a new growth highlight for the industry.

Currently, the global pressure-sensitive label market is shifting from scale expansion toward value upgrading, with high-end functional labels, eco-friendly and biodegradable labels, and intelligent identification labels gradually replacing traditional general-purpose labels.

Global Market Development Landscape of In-Mold Labels

The global in-mold label market is highly concentrated regionally, with distinct technological differentiation patterns across different regions.

Europe is the largest in-mold label market in the world, accounting for as much as 56% of total shipments, maintaining an absolute leading position. The region primarily adopts injection-molding in-mold labeling (IML-IM) technology as the mainstream application.

North America accounts for 22% of the global total, with blow-molding in-mold labeling (IML-EB) technology as the dominant mainstream. Meanwhile, injection-molding in-mold labeling, with its advantages of high efficiency and high quality, holds significant potential for rapid growth.

The in-mold label market in the Asia-Pacific region is relatively underdeveloped, accounting for only 13% of the global total. The main constraint is the insufficient level of industrial chain integration in most economies within the region, along with uneven development of in-mold forming and supporting printing technologies, making it difficult to meet the requirements of high-end, large-scale production.

At present, the Asia-Pacific region is accelerating the deployment of new injection molding and blow molding technologies, increasing investment in supporting industrial chains, and gradually addressing existing shortcomings. As a result, the market’s growth potential continues to be released.

South America, Africa, and the Middle East together account for only 5% of the global in-mold label market and are still in the early stages of development. Among them, African and Middle Eastern markets are more suitable for blow-molding in-mold labeling technology, and therefore offer significant future growth potential.

From the perspective of end-use applications, in-mold labels are far more concentrated in application scenarios compared with pressure-sensitive labels, focusing primarily on the high-end durable packaging segment.

The food industry is the largest application area, with key products including yogurt cups, ice cream containers, seasoning jars, edible oil bottles, and frozen food packaging. Thanks to their resistance to low temperatures, oil contamination, and detachment, in-mold labels are perfectly suited for cold-chain storage and humid daily environments. Their abrasion resistance is more than five times that of traditional pressure-sensitive labels, significantly extending packaging lifespan and enhancing brand appearance.

The personal care industry is the second-largest application segment for in-mold labels. Products such as laundry detergent, shampoo, body wash, and skincare items commonly use IML technology for hollow plastic containers. Compared with traditional labeling, in-mold labeling creates a seamless, integrated finish with no adhesive residue or edge lifting. It offers a smoother touch and more premium appearance, while being resistant to water and abrasion, allowing packaging to remain intact over long-term use. This perfectly aligns with the branding and durability requirements of high-end personal care products and has become a mainstream choice in the mid-to-high-end segment.

In addition, in-mold labels are rapidly gaining adoption in pharmaceutical packaging, automotive components, and small industrial product applications.

Based on the overall AWA report data, the global pressure-sensitive label market and the in-mold label market are forming a complementary development landscape. Pressure-sensitive labels, with advantages such as wide application adaptability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, firmly dominate mass consumer goods, logistics, and general industrial markets, maintaining stable and essential demand-driven growth.

In contrast, in-mold labels, characterized by premium appearance, strong durability, and integrated molding, continue to capture higher-end segments such as premium food, personal care, and precision manufacturing, achieving structural incremental growth.

It is foreseeable that the global label industry will follow two major trends in the future. First, environmental and intelligent upgrades will become mainstream, with biodegradable materials, recyclable labels, and smart traceability labels continuously replacing traditional solutions. Second, regional differentiation will further intensify: the Asia-Pacific market will steadily expand with ongoing technological upgrades, the European and North American markets will focus on high-end innovation, and emerging markets will gradually release basic demand.

(The data referenced in this article are derived from the ‘AWA Announces PS and IML Market Reports')