The global 3D printing market reached $16 billion in 2025, growing just over 10% year over year, according to new data from Additive Manufacturing Research (AM Research). After a slower period in recent years, the second half of 2025 showed signs of recovery, with growth returning across key parts of the industry. The firm now expects the market to reach $57 billion by 2034, pointing to steady long-term expansion.
The data comes from AM Research’s latest quarterly update and its 3DP/AM Market Insights: Q4 2025 report, which breaks down the market across metals, polymers, services, and applications.
A Market That Is Starting to Move Again
According to AM Research, 2025 was split into two very different periods. The first half looked similar to the slower growth seen in 2023 and 2024. But in the second half of the year, activity picked up.
AM Research EVP Scott Dunham stated, “2025 was a story of two markets, with the first half of the year largely in line with the tougher times of the last two years, but in the second half of 2025, we saw what we believe is the start of a significant turnaround for AM. The industry is still carrying too much weight competitively, and a number of companies exited in 2025 — this won’t stop in 2026. But it’s become clear we’re at a point where growth is flowing back into the market.”
That change shows up in the numbers. The total market grew from $4 billion in Q3 to $4.26 billion in Q4, pointing to stronger momentum toward the end of the year. At the same time, the industry is still going through a period of consolidation. As Dunham said, several companies exited the market in 2025, and AM Research expects that trend to continue into 2026.
Where the Market Stands Today
According to the report, metal AM reached $6.27 billion in 2025, polymer AM reached $9.79 billion, and AM services reached $8.53 billion. Together, these segments make up a market that is still growing, but also changing in structure.
One of the most important takeaways is the role of services. AM Research expects services to become the largest segment over time, as more companies rely on external providers rather than building everything in-house.
Scott Dunham during the AMS 2026 Market Data Outlook presentation. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.
Not all parts of the market are growing at the same pace. In metal 3D printing, three sectors stand out: medical, space, and defense and maritime. Among these, space applications (especially rocket engines) are expected to become one of the biggest drivers of value over the next decade. This matches what we’re seeing across the industry, where aerospace and defense are leading adoption.
At the same time, AM Research’s latest report shows that growth is starting to pick up again after a slower period. But the market is still figuring itself out. There are still a lot of companies in the space, and not all of them are keeping up. So it’s likely we’ll continue to see consolidation. Also, there are plenty of signs that demand is there, but the real question now is whether companies can turn that into steady production and real revenue
How This Compares to Other Market Data
AM Research is not the only firm tracking the 3D printing market. Recent reports from Wohlers Associates, AMPOWER, and CONTEXT point in a similar direction, but use different methods and cover different parts of the market.
In February 2026, Wohlers reported that the global AM industry reached $24.2 billion in 2025, higher than AM Research’s $16 billion estimate. This is partly because Wohlers uses a broader definition of the market, including hardware, materials, services, and software, and takes a more top-down approach, focusing more on the total market and how it changes over time.
AM Research also tracks the global market, but uses a more detailed and structured approach. It relies on bottom-up data, focuses on core AM revenue, and tracks the market quarter by quarter, breaking it down by vendor, technology, geography, and application.
On the other hand, AMPOWER’s latest market report estimates the industrial metal and polymer AM market at about €11.3 billion in 2025, with a 5.7% growth. Its approach is based on more than 300 interviews and over 50,000 data points from companies across the supply chain, and it explicitly covers equipment, materials, parts, and manufacturing suppliers.
Meanwhile, CONTEXT looks mainly at hardware sales and shipments. Its latest data shows modest growth, including about 5% growth in Q3 2025. The data also shows a split market, with strong demand for entry-level systems and improving demand for metal platforms, while higher-end industrial systems continue to face slower investment.
AM Research takes a different approach by tracking the market quarter by quarter and breaking it down by vendor, technology, geography, and application. It also includes printers, materials, and services, which helps explain why its total market number differs from other firms.
Across all four firms, the data shows the market is growing again, but not evenly, and some segments are still under pressure.
Scott Dunham, AM Research’s EVP, at AMS 2023. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.
Overall, AM Research shows that the industry is moving forward again, but it’s still in transition. Activity shows there is real demand, especially in areas like aerospace, defense, and medical. At the same time, the market is shifting, with services playing a bigger role and some companies falling behind. So, this new report shows that growth is back, but the focus now is on turning that into stable production and long-term business.
Learn More with AM Research’s Webinar
AM Research breaks this down in more detail in its webinar, 3DP/AM Market Insights: 2025 Review and 2026 Preview, led by Dunham.
The session walks through what happened in 2025, why the second half of the year started to turn around, and what to expect going into 2026. It also looks at where growth is coming from, how different parts of the market are performing, and what companies need to focus on next.
The webinar is still available to watch on demand at this link.