Zinc market seen reaching $45.26B by 2035 on infrastructure, EVs and batteries

The global zinc market is projected to rise from $38.2 billion in 2025 to $45.26 billion by 2035, according to Market Research Future. Demand is being reshaped by galvanizing for infrastructure, electrification, recycling and early zinc-based battery commercialization, with Asia-Pacific holding the largest share.

Why it matters: - Zinc is shifting from a basic industrial metal to a strategic input for infrastructure resilience, electrification and long-duration energy storage. - The market’s modest 1.71% CAGR masks a larger change in demand quality, with more growth tied to public works, clean-energy hardware and lower-carbon production. - Infrastructure, EVs and battery storage could support demand even if broader industrial activity slows.

What happened: - Market Research Future estimated the global zinc market at USD 38.2 billion in 2025. - The report projects the market will reach USD 38.854 billion in 2026 and USD 45.26 billion by 2035. - The forecast implies a 1.71% compound annual growth rate through 2035. - Asia-Pacific accounted for 58% of global zinc volume in 2025 and is expected to post the fastest regional CAGR at 2.65%.

The details: - Galvanizing remained the largest application, with 56% of global volume in 2025. - Hot-dip galvanizing can extend steel service life by 50 to 75 years in atmospheric environments. - The U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes more than USD 550 billion for transport and utility upgrades that use corrosion-resistant steel. - The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates a USD 2.6 trillion U.S. infrastructure gap through 2030. - India’s Bharatmala Pariyojana road program adds about 65,000 km of highways and is expected to drive an incremental 200,000 tons of zinc offtake per year through 2028. - China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for urban renewal, the EU Renovation Wave target for 35 million buildings by 2030 and the Global Wind Energy Council’s 680 GW onshore target are all supporting galvanized steel demand. - Each gigawatt of wind capacity consumes about 5,500 to 7,500 tonnes of zinc in tower, nacelle and foundation steel protection. - The transportation end-user segment generated USD 6.1 billion in 2025. - The electrical and electronics segment is projected to grow at a 2.64% CAGR through 2035. - BloombergNEF expects global EV sales to surpass 30 million units a year by 2030. - Each EV uses about 8 to 12 kg of zinc in structural and electrical components. - Zinc oxide remains important in varistors, which protect circuits from power surges. - Pilot deployments by Zinc8 Energy Solutions and Eos Energy Enterprises show early use of zinc-based storage systems. - The U.S. Department of Energy aims to cut the cost of grid-scale long-duration storage by 90% by 2030. - Zinc-air systems can provide more than 100 hours of discharge at about 40% lower levelized cost than lithium-ion for durations beyond eight hours. - If zinc-ion and zinc-air batteries scale successfully, they could add 90,000 to 110,000 tons of zinc demand by 2035. - Secondary production is the fastest-growing production process segment, with a 2.95% CAGR. - Modern rotary-kiln and Waelz-process plants recover 85% to 92% of zinc from electric-arc-furnace dust. - Galvanized-steel scrap processed through alkaline leaching typically yields 80% to 88% zinc recovery. - Recycled zinc carries a carbon footprint roughly 75% lower than primary production. - The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is widening the cost advantage of recycled zinc, with an expected EUR 80 to 120 per ton benefit after full levy implementation in 2026. - Europe is already recovering more than 30% of zinc, and that share is expected to rise toward 45% by 2032.

Between the lines: - The report points to a market where policy is becoming a bigger demand driver than consumer spending. - Public infrastructure, grid modernization and decarbonization programs all favor zinc because the metal protects steel, supports electrical systems and fits recycling-heavy supply chains. - Zinc-based batteries are still early, but even partial commercialization could create a meaningful new source of demand outside traditional uses. - Secondary production is gaining structural advantages as carbon pricing and waste rules make lower-emission supply more competitive.

What's next: - Asia-Pacific is expected to remain the center of zinc consumption, led by China’s scale and India’s faster growth. - Europe is likely to keep pushing recycling and low-carbon supply in response to CBAM and the Critical Raw Materials Act. - North American demand should continue to benefit from infrastructure spending, domestic sourcing rules and battery research. - The key variable for the next decade is whether zinc storage technologies move from pilot projects to commercial scale.

The bottom line: - Zinc’s next growth phase is less about commodity cycles and more about infrastructure durability, electrification and circular-economy supply chains.