EU aerosol production reached 3.45 billion units in 2025, according to the European Aerosol Federation's (FEA) newly published 2026 Annual Report, with output remaining broadly stable over the past five years despite a volatile run of year-on-year swings.
Production has grown from 3.27 billion to 3.45 billion units since 2020, a compound annual growth rate of 1.4 per cent. The underlying figures show more movement than that headline growth rate suggests: EU output climbed steadily from 3,646 million units in 2015 to a peak of 3,719 million in 2017, before falling sharply to 3,246 million by 2020. Production has since recovered in fits and starts, reaching 3,460 million in 2024 before easing slightly to 3,451 million in 2025.
Germany, France and Italy remain the dominant producers, together accounting for more than 60 per cent of the EU's annual aerosol output across all segments.
Germany alone produced 934 million units in 2025, a 27.1 per cent share of EU production, followed by France with 694 million units (20.1 per cent) and Italy with 569.7 million units (16.5 per cent).
The Netherlands produced 365.9 million units (10.6 per cent), Spain 339 million (9.8 per cent) and Belgium 302.6 million (8.8 per cent). Together with the Netherlands and Spain, the top three producing countries manufactured more than 2.9 billion aerosol dispensers between them in 2025.
By segment, personal care remains by far the largest category, accounting for 49 per cent of EU aerosol production. Household products represent a further 17.4 per cent. Smaller but significant segments include food and miscellaneous applications at 11.4 per cent, automotive and industrial products also at 11.4 per cent, paints and varnishes at 8.8 per cent, and pharmaceutical and veterinary products at 2 per cent.
The report notes that aerosol containers remain primarily made from steel and aluminium, both materials with well-established recycling markets, while glass and plastic containers make up only a marginal share of the total.
Global production figures included in the report show the EU's position within a wider picture of international growth and, in some markets, decline.
China's aerosol production rose from 1,554 million units in 2015 to 2,610 million in 2025, while Brazil's more than doubled over the same period, from 635 million to an estimated 1,294 million units.
Mexico also grew substantially, from 567 million to an estimated 786 million units.
By contrast, the United States saw production edge down slightly, from 3,820 million units in 2015 to an estimated 3,752 million, while the UK's output fell from 1,539 million to 1,418 million units.
Argentina recorded a more pronounced decline, from 1,128 million to an estimated 908 million units.
