China is home to two of the loudest cities in the world – Guangzhou and Beijing. According to a recent article in The Guardian, “Guangzhou, China, ranked as having the worst levels of noise pollution in the world, followed by Cairo, Paris, Beijing and Delhi.”

New study Global Acoustic Insulation shows demand for acoustic insulation in China totaling $1.5 billion in 2018, making it the second largest national market in the world in value terms behind the US.

Through 2023, demand for acoustic insulation in the Asia/Pacific region is expected to grow 6.3% per annum to $4.3 billion, representing 46% of value growth worldwide. Going forward, gains will be boosted by:

• rising standards of living, supporting increased access to air conditioning, associated HVAC equipment output, and higher quality building stocks
• rapid expansion of nonresidential building construction in China
• growth in industrial equipment and appliance production
• government efforts in some countries to improve noise pollution and worker safety regulation

When we include all regions, Freedonia forecasts demand growth at 4.9% per year to reach $11.4 billion in 2023. Despite the popularity of fiberglass in North America and of mineral wool in Eastern Europe, foamed plastic is projected to account for the majority of value gains globally through 2023.

Foamed plastic is the most used insulation material in the Asia/Pacific region which will strengthen the material’s leading position.