Printing & Writing Paper: Market Size & Forecast 2026

The global printing and writing paper market stood at approximately USD 78.5 billion in 2025 (base year), a mature category under structural demand pressure from digitisation across office, publishing, and commercial print channels. The 7-year forward CAGR to 2032 is negative at roughly -1.2 percent, implying a market end-state of approximately USD 72.1 billion, a contraction of USD 6 billion in absolute terms over the forecast window. The dominant input cost driver is northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp, which commands approximately 38 percent of finished-goods cost and has held in a USD 1,300-1,500 per metric tonne band through Q2 2026. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40) enters general application on 12 August 2026, with design-for-recycling and recycled-content mandates for graphic papers taking effect on 1 January 2030, the first

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