Global Agar-Agar Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Powder, Strips, and Flakes), By Product (Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade, and Industrial Grade), By Application (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Biotechnology, and Textiles), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2025 - 2035

Global Agar-Agar Market Size Insights Forecasts to 2035

• The Global Agar-Agar Market Size Was Estimated at USD 362.4 Million in 2024
• The Market Size is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of around 4.1% from 2025 to 2035
• The Worldwide Agar-Agar Market Size is Expected to Reach USD 564.1 Million by 2035
• North America is expected to grow the fastest during the forecast period.

According to a research report published by Spherical Insights and Consulting, The Global Agar-Agar Market Size was worth around USD 362.4 Million in 2024 and is Predicted to Grow to around USD 564.1 Million by 2035 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.1% from 2025 to 2035. The global agar-agar market experiences expansion due to rising demand for vegan plant-based gelatin substitutes and the growing use of agar-agar in clean-label health-focused food products and its increasing applications in pharmaceutical, microbiological and cosmetic industries, which receive support from improved extraction technologies.

Market Overview

Agar-agar is a natural plant-based hydrocolloid that manufacturers extract from red algae to create a gelling, thickening, and stabilizing agent used in food products, pharmaceutical products and biotechnology applications. The food industry uses it as a gelatin replacement in confectionery products and bakery products, dairy products, dessert items and vegan offerings. The global agar-agar market receives its driving force from two factors, which include consumers who prefer natural ingredients and clean-label products, and the increasing number of vegan and vegetarian consumers and the rising demand for processed food and pharmaceutical products.

Developing regions offer growth opportunities because urbanisation, rising disposable incomes, and increasing awareness of plant-based alternatives create new market potential. The main market competitors, which include CP Kelco and Ingredion Incorporated, Himedia Laboratories and Qingdao Global Seaweed Group, use product development, capacity growth and strategic alliances to expand their market presence and satisfy the rising worldwide demand for agar-agar. The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries plans to achieve US$8 million in business agreements during Food Ingredients Europe 2025, which will take place in Paris in December 2025, when six exporters display their products at the Indonesia Seaweed Pavilion. The 2025 seaweed export market reached US$264.6 million because agar and carrageenan achieved market dominance while China and the EU maintained their status as the leading global markets.

Report Coverage

This research report categorizes the agar-agar market based on various segments and regions, forecasts revenue growth, and analyzes trends in each submarket. The report analyses the key growth drivers, opportunities, and challenges influencing the agar-agar market. Recent market developments and competitive strategies, such as expansion, type launch, development, partnership, merger, and acquisition, have been included to draw the competitive landscape in the market. The report strategically identifies and profiles the key market players and analyses their core competencies in each sub-segment of the agar-agar market.  

Driving Factors

The Global Agar-Agar Market Size operates because customers increasingly purchase plant-based vegan products, which include clean-label ingredients that serve as ethical plant-based substitutes for gelatin. The rising health awareness among people has increased its application as an ingredient in confectionery products, dairy alternatives and bakery items. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries experience rapid expansion because they depend on agar for microbiological culture media, which drives market development. The growth of this industry results from increased cosmetic applications, which use natural skincare products and the growing demand for functional foods, while the Asia Pacific leads in manufacturing and North America leads in using these products.

Restraining Factors

The Global Agar-Agar Market Size faces major obstacles because seasonal harvesting creates unpredictable red algae raw material supply problems, which are caused by environmental changes and climate-related events. The market faces expansion challenges because of expensive production expenses and strong competition from other hydrocolloids, such as gelatin and carrageenan and because international quality standards come with strict enforcement and diverse requirements.

Market Segmentation

The agar-agar market share is classified into type, product and application. 

• The Powder segment dominated the market in 2024, approximately 58% and is projected to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the type, the Global Agar-Agar Market Size is divided into powder, strips, and flakes. Among these,  the powder segment dominated the market in 2024 and is projected to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. The powder segment dominated market growth because it provides customers with simple storage solutions, extended product durability and accurate product measurement. The material dissolves at a rapid pace while maintaining its gel strength throughout various industrial applications that require more efficient processing than strips or flakes.

• The food grade segment accounted for the largest share in 2024, approximately 65% and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the product, the Global Agar-Agar Market Size is divided into food grade,  pharmaceutical grade, and industrial grade. Among these, the food grade segment accounted for the largest share in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The food-grade segment dominated market growth because more consumers demand clean-label natural ingredients for their food products. Agar-agar functions as a gelling agent in vegan dairy and confectionery products because it possesses plant-based halal and kosher attributes, which make it suitable for consumption in the health-conscious food market.

• The food & beverage segment accounted for the highest market revenue in 2024, approximately 54% and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the application, the Global Agar-Agar Market Size is divided into food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biotechnology, and textiles. Among these, the food & beverage segment accounted for the highest market revenue in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The food & beverage segment observed maximum market expansion because consumers increasingly prefer natural plant-based ingredients for their food products. The use of agar-agar in vegan dairy confectionery and dessert products has become popular because it functions as a gelling agent, thickening agent, and stabilizing agent. The demand for agar-agar in the food sector shows continuous growth because consumers increasingly search for clean-label products and health-focused options.

Regional Segment Analysis of the Agar-Agar Market

• North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) 
• Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC)
• South America (Brazil and the Rest of South America) 
• The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA)

Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold the largest share of the agar-agar market over the predicted timeframe.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold the largest share of the agar-agar market over the predicted timeframe. The Asia Pacific region will maintain its position as the 46% share of the agar-agar market worldwide because it has extensive red seaweed resources, high production capacity and increasing demand from food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. The three main producers of agar-agar are China, Indonesia, and Japan, with China dominating exports, Indonesia providing premium Kappaphycus species, and Japan developing new extraction methods. The combination of rapid urban growth, rising processed food demand, and government backing for sustainable seaweed farming creates market expansion opportunities. The Ministry of Fisheries in India established seaweed live importation rules in October 2024 to solve raw material shortages, which will help drive agar and alginate production while improving coastal community welfare and boosting international competitiveness.

North America is expected to grow at a rapid CAGR in the agar-agar market during the forecast period. The agar-agar market in North America will experience rapid growth through a 18% market share due to rising demand for natural plant-based clean-label ingredients in food production, beverage manufacturing, pharmaceutical applications and biotechnology. The United States leads this growth because more people adopt vegan diets and become health-conscious, while the processed food and supplement industries expand, and agar-agar gets used in confectionery, dairy and plant-based food items. Increased public knowledge about sustainable ingredients leads to market growth throughout the area.

The Global Agar-Agar Market Size in Europe experiences expansion because clean-label plant-based and vegan product demand increases across the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The three countries of Germany, France, and the UK show market expansion because health-conscious consumers drive demands for processed food, and sustainable ingredient use grows. The market receives additional support through strict quality standards and ongoing biotechnology research. The launch of four European projects with 5.7 million in funding in October 2025 establishes innovation centers to develop sustainable algae farming and new algae products, which support economic growth in coastal areas through blue economy development.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the agar-agar market, along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their type of offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes type development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market.

List of Key Companies

• CP Kelco
• Himedia Laboratories
• Ingredion Incorporated
• Agarmex
• Industrias Roko
• Qingdao Global Seaweed Group
• Marine Science Co., Ltd
• PT. Agarindo Bogatama
• Meron Group
• Asahi & Co.
• GINO BIOTECH
• Hispanagar
• PT Kappa Carrageenan Nusantara
• Orient Resources Company
• Others

Key Target Audience

• Market Players
• Investors
• End-users
• Government Authorities 
• Consulting and Research Firm
• Venture capitalists
• Value-Added Resellers (VARs) 

Recent Development

• In December 2023, demand for seaweed hydrocolloids surged in the European food market. Valued for their thickening and stabilizing properties, these ingredients are increasingly used in health-focused and better-for-you products. Market growth is expected to continue as consumer preference for natural, functional, and clean-label food ingredients rises.

Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2035. Spherical Insights has segmented the Global Agar-Agar Market Size based on the below-mentioned segments:  

Global Agar-Agar Market, By Type

• Powder
• Strips
• Flakes

Global Agar-Agar Market, By Product

• Food Grade
• Pharmaceutical Grade
• Industrial Grade

Global Agar-Agar Market, By Application

• Food & Beverage
• Pharmaceuticals
• Cosmetics
• Biotechnology
• Textiles

Global Agar-Agar Market, By Regional Analysis

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
  • Mexico

• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
  • Rest of Europe

• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific

• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of South America

• Middle East & Africa
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Qatar
  • South Africa
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa