Soft Gelatin Capsules Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Gelatin Type, Non-animal Type and Others), By Application (Health Supplements, Pharmaceutical and Others), Regional Insights and Forecast From 2025 To 2034

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SOFT GELATIN CAPSULES MARKET OVERVIEW

The global Soft Gelatin Capsules Market size stood at USD 5.26 billion in 2025, growing further to USD 8.92 billion by 2034 at an estimated CAGR of 6.04% from 2025 to 2034 during the forecast period.

The United States Soft Gelatin Capsules Market size is projected at USD 1.69325 billion in 2025, the Europe Soft Gelatin Capsules Market size is projected at USD 1.48712 billion in 2025, and the China Soft Gelatin Capsules Market size is projected at USD 1.31359 billion in 2025.

Softgel capsules, also known as soft gelatin capsules, have a solid (outer shell) and a semi-solid or liquid medicinal component surrounding them (inner fill). Either the inside fill of a softgel capsule or the outside shell of a gelatin capsule can contain the active medicinal component. Orally administered soft gelatin capsules have an outer soft gelatin shell made of gelatin sources like plants or animals, plasticizers like glycerin and/or sorbitol, opacifiers, and water. Soft gelatin capsules are used in a wide variety of pharmaceutical products, including antacids, health supplements, medications for bacterial infections, and dietary supplements.

Soft gelatin capsules have a number of benefits, including ease of swallowing, odour and taste masking, better absorption, increased bioavailability, and excellent atmospheric stability. Traditional capsules now have more features thanks to improvements in production technology and the introduction of new materials, such as controlled drug release, tamper-evident packaging, and formulation choice of potent APIS due to reduced stomach pH degradation, appealing aesthetics, and longer shelf life.

KEY FINDINGS

COVID-19 IMPACT

Lockdown Gave Rise to Slower Economy Growth Rate Which Hampered the Market

The financial standing of significant enterprises in the soft gelatin capsule market has been harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in numerous nations around the world. The main end consumers of softgel capsules, cosmetic, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical businesses, have all been impacted by the virus because of trade restrictions and lockdowns. Currently, the virus's spread is being prioritised, which will cause the soft gelatin capsules market share to grow slowly in the near future. Due to lockdowns imposed by various governments, the pandemic has had a detrimental influence on the global softgel market in a number of ways, including the development, production, and supply of medications. It has also hampered the expansion of the pharmaceutical divisions of numerous firms worldwide.

LATEST TRENDS

Development in Vegetarian and Halal Products to Attract the Consumers and Expand the Market

Since many years, gelatin has been the primary raw material used to create softgel capsules. Investments made by manufacturers in R&D activities and technological advancements have resulted in the creation and use of alternative sources for producing vegetarian softgel capsules as well as smooth manufacturing processes for softgel capsules.

The demand for natural, "green" products from people who are health-conscious is skyrocketing. The desire for vegetarian softgel capsules (HPMC, starch, and pullulan softgel capsules) is predicted to increase as a result of the fact that more than 50% of customers are willing to pay a higher price for a natural product, and nearly half say they are willing to pay more for organic items. To gain a foothold in the marketplaces of nations with a Muslim majority, businesses that produce halal softgel capsules seek halal certification from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA). Currently, nations like Malaysia and Indonesia are searching for domestic and imported gelatin-containing goods that were made using halal-certified components.

• Animal-based gelatin dominance: The bovine gelatin segment led market share in 2022, outranking porcine and plant-based variants .

• Nutraceutical focus: Soft gelatin capsules are heavily used in dietary supplements, accounting for the largest application share in 2022.

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SOFT GELATIN CAPSULES MARKET SEGMENTATION

• By Type

Based on type, the soft gelatin capsules market is classified into , Dropping Method, Pressing Method.

• By Application

Based on application, into Health Supplements, Pharmaceutical, Others

Health supplements is the leading part of the application segment.

DRIVING FACTORS

Increasing Demand from Health-Conscious Consumers to Boost the Market 

Professional athletes and weightlifters are no longer the only ones who practise sports nutrition. Global events, marathons, gym-goers, and sporting events have all brought sports into the public eye, and the rise in body image and fitness has caused businesses to recast themselves as suppliers of goods for a healthy lifestyle.

Growing consumer interest in health awareness is projected to outweigh and outnumber professional athletes. As a result, retailers are keeping more shelf space for products containing sports nutrition. This offers sports supplement producers the chance to promote sports nutrition goods to a large and diverse consumer base in a softgel capsule oral dosage form.

Adoption of Novel Technologies by Manufacturers to Multiply the Market Demand

Manufacturers are making a variety of efforts to offer distinctive empty softgel capsules that are more adaptable and practical for uses in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical industries.

Due to their suitability for a variety of formulations, including liquid and solid dosage forms, and easy-to-use features when administering medications orally or through inhalation routes, various empty softgel capsules are more likely to be preferred by the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

The market is seeing the introduction of a number of softgel capsule products with cutting-edge unique capsule features, such as chewcaps, hydrophilic sandwich (HS) capsules, duocaps, etc., which are in high demand from consumers.

• Surge in FDA approvals: U.S. FDA approved over 100 new soft gelatin capsule formulations between 2022–23, signalling strong industry momentum .

• Bioavailability benefits: Encapsulated formulations can enhance nutrient absorption by up to 60% compared to tablets

RESTRAINING FACTORS

The  Complexity in Product Manufacturing Process to Impede the Market Growth

The production process is laborious and challenging to improve (e.g., ribbon thickness, fill weight, and weight variation). Additionally, even a single broken capsule during production can cause numerous other capsules to become coated with the drug mixture. Additionally, this can take place while being stored in multipurpose containers like high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles.

• Raw material cost hikes: Gelatin import prices in the U.S. rose by about 12% in 2023 due to global supply chain issues.

• Regulatory complexities: The FDA issued over 50 warning letters in 2022–23 to manufacturers for non-compliance in labeling and quality.

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SOFT GELATIN CAPSULES MARKET REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Asia Pacific to Lead the Market with the Rapid Growth and Potential Manufacturers

With approximately a quarter of the global market share for soft gelatin capsules, the Asia Pacific region is recognized as having the fastest expanding market. Factors contributing to the region's rapid growth include the huge number of generic drug producers in China and India, the rising need for affordable treatments, the booming economy, and the expansion of contract manufacturing businesses. The soft gelatin capsules market growth is projected to be boosted by the increase in spending on personalized medication and the implementation of high-tech softgel production methods.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Notable Players to contribute towards the market growth

The top notch players of the market share are implementing and applying varied front end and back end strategies  to exceed and expand their empire.

• Catalent Inc.: Listed among major global soft gelatin capsule producers.

• Aenova Group GmbH: Also one of the key market players as identified in recent industry reports.

List of Top Soft Gelatin Capsules Companies

• Catalent
• Aenova
• NBTY
• Strides Arcolab
• Baihe Biotech
• Donghai Pharm
• Soft Gel Technologies
• Amway
• Guangdong Yichao
• Procaps
• Yuwang Group
• Captek
• IVC
• By-Health
• Shineway
• Sirio Pharma
• Patheon Inc
• EuroCaps
• Capsugel
• Ziguang Group

REPORT COVERAGE

The report covers the information on the advancement outlooks with new inventions and SWOT analysis.The market elements situation, with the development areas of the market in the upcoming years. Market segmentation information including the subjective and quantitative research including the effect of financial and strategy viewpoints are discussed in the report. The report also disseminates the information on the regional and nation level assessment incorporating the demand and supply dominators that are affecting the development of the market. The competitive landscape including market share of major players, along with the new research methodologies and strategies adopted by players for the  forecasted period is listed in the report.