René Muschter
Research Expert covering Industry & Mobility
Rubber industry worldwide - statistics & facts
Despite the rubber tree's origins in South America, the vast majority of natural rubber produced globally is harvested from rubber trees grown in Southeast Asia. Synthetic rubber, which is derived from fossil fuels, has several of its leading producers based in Asia, with China's production alone amounting to nearly one million metric tons in the first quarter of 2024. In 2023, global rubber production amounted to 28.8 million metric tons, with the amount produced having grown by 11.1 million metric tons since 2000. The global consumption of rubber similarly fell to 28.8 million metric tons in 2023 from 29.9 million metric tons the previous year.
To address this and to help meet international social and environmental targets, new regulations like the EU’s Deforestation-free Products Regulation require companies to trace the origin of their rubber products back to the source. Blockchain technology offers a promising solution, providing greater visibility into the material's journey across supply chains and fostering a more transparent rubber industry. With the natural rubber harvest area projected to increase year-on-year until 2030 and production levels expected to remain high, the transparency of the natural and synthetic rubber industry continues to be a critical issue.
Global rubber production
There are two main means of producing rubber; by harvesting latex, also referred to as caoutchouc or India rubber, from rubber trees; and synthetically manufacturing rubber. Thailand produces more than four million metric tons of natural rubber globally per year, making it the world’s largest producer of the material. Synthetic rubber production refers to any artificial elastomer, which is mainly polymers synthesized from byproducts of the petroleum refining process. There are approximately 20 different chemical types of synthetic rubber, with different grades of rubber in each of those chemical categories. As of 2023, production of the material accounted for 14 million metric tons, over half the global rubber supply.The future of rubber
Rubber remains an especially useful material, with a wide variety of applications that can be utilized either alone or in combination with other materials. In the automotive industry, rubber plays a crucial role throughout the supply chain. Tires, for instance, are the single leading global end use of rubber. However, the complexity of the supply chain and the large number of processing facilities make it challenging to trace the material's origin, which is of concern due to cases of deforestation and human rights abuses having been linked to rubber production.To address this and to help meet international social and environmental targets, new regulations like the EU’s Deforestation-free Products Regulation require companies to trace the origin of their rubber products back to the source. Blockchain technology offers a promising solution, providing greater visibility into the material's journey across supply chains and fostering a more transparent rubber industry. With the natural rubber harvest area projected to increase year-on-year until 2030 and production levels expected to remain high, the transparency of the natural and synthetic rubber industry continues to be a critical issue.
