Consumption of paper and cardboard 2007-2018

The global consumption of paper and cardboard totaled 422 million metric tons in 2018. Although this was a decline from the previous year, the consumption of paper and cardboard worldwide has been steadily rising in recent years, growing by roughly seven percent since 2010. Global paper consumption is projected to further increase in the coming decades, surpassing 450 million metric tons before 2030.

Which country consumes the most paper?

China is by far the largest consumer of paper worldwide, having consumed 110 million metric tons of paper and paperboard in 2018. This represented approximately a quarter of total paper consumption worldwide. China was followed by the United States, which consumed 70.7 million metric tons.

E-commerce boosts production

As with consumption, paper production has been increasing worldwide. Although the production of graphic paper has been falling in the age of digitalization, the demand for packaging paper and board has been increasing annually. The growth in packaging production has been fueled by the online shopping boom, with a growing need for containerboard – a material used in the manufacture of corrugated board.