Pharmaceutical contract packaging market seen reaching $31.88B by 2031

Mordor Intelligence projects the pharmaceutical contract packaging market will grow from $20.82 billion in 2026 to $31.88 billion by 2031, driven by outsourcing, biologics, serialization and supply-chain upgrades. North America leads today, while Asia-Pacific is expected to post the fastest growth.

Why it matters: - Pharmaceutical packaging is becoming a bigger outsourcing market as drugmakers look to cut costs, speed launches and meet stricter traceability rules. - The shift is especially important for biologics, injectables and specialty medicines, which need more complex packaging, cold-chain handling and sterile formats. - Big Pharma accounts for more than 28% of demand, making large drugmakers a key customer group for contract packagers.

What happened: - Mordor Intelligence said the pharmaceutical contract packaging market will rise from $20.82 billion in 2026 to $31.88 billion by 2031. - The market is forecast to grow at a 8.89% compound annual growth rate over the period. - North America holds the largest market share. - The report was released from Hyderabad, India, on Aug. 4, 2026.

The details: - Serialization rules and tamper-evident packaging requirements are pushing pharmaceutical companies toward outsourced packaging partners with traceability systems. - Contract packaging firms with aggregation software, automated inspection systems and serialization infrastructure are better positioned to serve regulated markets. - Demand is rising for pre-filled syringes, cartridges, sterile packaging and temperature-controlled packaging tied to biologics, biosimilars, injectables and specialty drugs. - Contract packaging providers are investing in aseptic packaging capabilities and cleanroom infrastructure. - Pharmaceutical companies are also shifting to CDMOs that bundle manufacturing, packaging, labeling, serialization and logistics under one quality framework. - AI-powered monitoring, predictive maintenance and automated line changeovers are improving packaging efficiency and reducing validation time. - Mordor Intelligence Senior Research Manager Ashish Gautam said transparent sourcing, rigorous validation and balanced analysis are important for market intelligence on outsourcing and commercialization trends. - Recent industry moves include PCI Pharma Services announcing more than $1 billion of infrastructure investments on April 27, 2026, and Alcami Corporation completing its acquisition of Tjoapack in May 2026. - PCI Pharma Services said the investment will expand U.S. sterile fill-finish, drug-device combination assembly and commercial packaging capabilities, including high-speed isolator filling lines for pre-filled syringes, cartridges and vials. - Alcami said the Tjoapack deal adds more than 1 million square feet of operational space and expands packaging, labeling and supply-chain services across North America and Europe.

Between the lines: - The market is moderating toward integrated service models, not standalone packaging, because drugmakers want fewer vendors and faster commercialization. - Sustainability is becoming part of the competitive race, alongside automation and compliance. - North America’s lead reflects a mature pharma base and heavy serialization adoption, while Asia-Pacific’s expected growth reflects manufacturing expansion and outsourcing demand.

What's next: - North American demand is likely to stay strong as biologics production, near-shoring and integrated CDMO services expand. - Europe should keep growing on the back of sustainable packaging, digital packaging and cold-chain investments. - Asia-Pacific is expected to grow fastest as India, China, South Korea and Singapore attract more outsourcing work. - Competition is likely to intensify as leading players invest in AI-driven automation, sterile packaging and end-to-end services.

The bottom line: - Pharmaceutical contract packaging is moving from a support function to a strategic supply-chain lever for compliance, speed and biologics growth.