Food and Beverage Metal Cans Market

Food & Beverage Metal Cans Market Size

The global food & beverage metal cans market was valued at USD 52.2 billion in 2024 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% to reach USD 105.5 billion by 2034. The growth of the market is attributed to factors such as the growth of the ready-to-eat and convenience food sector coupled with the rapid expansion of the beverage industry.

The growth of the ready-to-eat and convenience food sector is a major growth driver for the market. For instance, according to the report published by the IBEF, the food processing sector in India is anticipated to reach USD 1,274 billion in the year 2027 and was valued at USD 866 billion in the year 2022. This surge in demand for ready to eat and convenience food industry is driven by the rapid urbanization, busy lifestyle, and the rise in demand for nutritious and functional food which rely on metal cans to ensure secure storage and extended shelf life of product. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of the healthy and nutritious food has led to increased adoption of metal can amongst manufacturers to offer healthier canned, plant based, and functional food, which supports the growth of the market.

Food & beverage metal can manufacturers must target the increasing ready-to-eat and functional foods market through improving can strength and food preservation. Increased focus on sustainable, BPA-free, and recyclable materials will boost adoption with increasing demand for healthy, plant-based, and convenient food.

The rapid expansion of the beverage industry is another key growth driver for the food & beverage metal cans market. With the surge in global beverage production, the demand for durable, recyclable, and portable metal cans continues to increase to ensure secure storage, transportation, and extended shelf life of food and beverage products. Furthermore, the increasing demand for carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, functional beverages, canned cocktails, and ready to drink coffee and tea, which rely on metal cans packaging is fuelling the growth of food and beverage metal can market.

Food and beverage metal can producers need to concentrate on making durable, recyclable, and lightweight cans to support the increasing demand for carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and functional drinks. A focus on sustainability and portability will drive adoption with increasing global beverage manufacturing.

Food & Beverage Metal Cans Market Trends

• The shift towards thinner and lightweight packaging in the food & beverage metal cans industry to reduce the material usage, transportation cost, and operational cost is a significant trend. Manufacturers are emphasizing on designing durable, high performance, and lightweight metal cans with fewer raw materials. This trend not only makes cans more affordable to produce but also helps reduce transportation costs due to the lower weight of the cans.
  
• The adoption of smart packaging technology in the food and beverage metal cans market to offer enhanced functionality, safety, and consumer engagement is another significant trend observed in the market. Several brands are incorporating QR codes, NFC tags, and temperature sensitive ink to offer consumers with enhanced experience, product information, and product authenticity.
  
• Another significant trends observed in the market is the rapid diversification of canned beverages. Metal cans are gaining rapid adoption for canned wine & beverage, functional and wellness drinks, hard seltzer and low alcoholic beverage, due to portability, lightweight design and recyclability advantages.
  

Food & Beverage Metal Cans Market Analysis

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The food and beverage metal cans market based on the materials is categorized into aluminium and steel.

• The aluminium material is the largest market and was valued at USD 36.4 billion in the year 2024. These materials are usually lightweight compared to steel materials and are highly recyclable, which makes them a preferred choice due to strict government regulations towards plastic waste reduction. The growth of this segment is driven by the growing demand for energy drinks, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages is driving the adoption of the aluminium cans. Additionally, these aluminium cans offers superior protection from light, oxygen, and contamination to ensure product integrity and extended shelf life of products.
  
• The steel material segment is the fastest growing market and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period. Steel cans offer superior protection from physical damage, which makes them ideal for canned foods such as soups, vegetables, meet, and seafood while ensuring extended shelf life of product. Additionally, these steel cans are usually cheaper than aluminium cans for large volume production and are gaining rapid traction among manufacturers for mass market food products. Also, the innovation in technology has led to increased adoption of BPA free & corrosion resistant coatings, to ensure food safety and aesthetic appeal of product.

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The food & beverage metal cans market based on the application is divided into food cans and beverage cans.

• The beverage cans segment is the largest market and was valued at USD 28.8 billion in the year 2024. The growth of this segment is driven by the increasing demand for ready to drink beverage such as energy drinks, soft drinks, and canned alcoholic beverage, along with the rise in craft beers and functional drinks market, which further pushes the growth of this segment in food and beverage metal cans market. Additionally, the shift towards sustainable packaging is driving adoption of aluminium cans among manufacturers, to reduce transportation cost and overall carbon footprint.    
  
• The food cans segment is projected to grow with a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. The rise in popularity of processed and packaged food such as processed meat, seafood, and dairy based canned products along with the increasing demand for shelf stable and convenience foods such as soups, vegetables, ready to eat meals, and pet food are the key growth driver for this segment. Moreover, the rapid expansion of supermarkets, hypermarkets, and online grocery stores is pushing the demand for recyclable metal food cans.
  

The food & beverage metal cans market based on the capacity is bifurcated into below 300ml, 300ml-500ml, and above 500ml.

• The 300ml-500ml is the largest market and was valued at USD 30.4 billion in the year 2024. The rapid expansion of craft beer and RTD alcoholic drink market coupled with the rising demand for functional and energy beverages are the key growth driver for this segment. The alcoholic drinks and beer industry is experiencing an increasing shift towards metal cans, especially within the 330ml-500ml category, because of their light weight, recyclability, and longer shelf life.
  
• The below 300 ml segment is the fastest growing market and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 8.9% during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is driven by the rise in demand for portion controlled and on the go beverage such as soft drinks, juices, and functional drinks. Additionally, the increasing popularity of single serve packaging products such as RTD tea, juices, and alcoholic mixture is pushing the growth of this segment to cater the consumer preferences for convenience, fresh and portability.
  

The food & beverage metal cans market based on the product type is segmented into 1-piece cans, 2-piece cans, and 3-piece cans.

• The 2-piece cans segment is the largest market and was valued at USD 34.5 billion in the year 2024. These cans offer cost efficient mass production and are gaining rapid traction among manufactures to cater the growing demand for carbonated soft drinks, canned beer, and processed foods. Furthermore, these 2 cans use less material than 3 piece cans, which pushes the adoption of these cans among several brands to reduce carbon footprint.
  
• The 1-piece cans segment is the fastest growing market and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period. The surge in demand for premium and speciality beverages such as RTD coffee, craft beers, and energy drinks rely on 1-piece cans due to their superior strength and durability. Also, these cans are gaining popularity in high filling speed and pressure filling to ensure efficiency and product safety, further propelling the demand for this segment in the food and beverage metal cans market.

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The North American region accounted for 34.1% of the global food and beverage market share in the year 2024. The increasing consumption of the ready to drink beverage coupled with the rapid expansion of food and beverage industry, which emphasizes on sustainable packaging are the key growth drivers in North America. Additionally, strict regulations imposed by the government towards plastic waste reduction and sustainable packaging is pushing the growth of food and beverage metal can market, as an ecofriendly alternative for plastics packaging.

• The U.S. dominated the food & beverage metal cans market, accounting for USD 14.4 billion in the year 2024. The developed food and beverage industry coupled with the increasing consumption of the carbonated soft drinks, functional beverages, and canned alcoholic drinks are the key growth drivers in the region. For instance, according to Statista, the revenue generated by the U.S. beverage market is anticipated to reach USD 131.5 billion in the year 2025 with a CAGR of 9.2% by the year 2029. In addition, the shift in consumer preference for portable and sustainable packaging solution, along with the advancement in the technology which has led to increased adoption of lightweight aluminum cans, BPA free linings and advanced digital printing, that enhance the product appeal while ensuring recyclability, branding, and product integrity.
  
• The Canada food & beverage market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period. The increasing government investment in sustainable food packaging solution is pushing the demand for canned food production to cater the expanding food and beverage industry, which is expected to support the market growth. Moreover, the growth of third party logistics in Canada along with the e-commerce food distribution is pushing the demand for reliable and recyclable packaging solution, which ensures product integrity and extended shelf life.
  

The Europe region held 27.5% of the global food & beverage metal cans market share in the year 2024. The growth of Europe’s food and beverage metal can market is attributed to the heightened consumption of beverage and rising demand for sustainable packaging coupled with the surge in the demand for premium canned beverage such as craft beers, energy drinks, and functional beverages, which further push the demand for the food and beverage metal cans market.

• The Germany market accounted for USD 4.2 billion in the year 2024. The country has a strong food and beverage industry which is supported by manufacturing industry coupled with the increasing demand for sustainable packaging solutions, which drives constant demand for food and beverage metal cans market. Furthermore, the increasing government initiative towards circular economy initiatives along with the presence of extended producer responsibility (EPR) is pushing the adoption of metal cans packaging, as an sustainable packaging alternative.
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• The UK food & beverage metal cans market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. The presence of the post Brexit trade policies in the region is encouraging the production of domestics food and beverage, which rely on the recyclable and locally sourced metal cans. Additionally, the shift in consumer preference towards ready to drink beverage and functional drinks further supports the market growth in the region.
  
• The market in France is projected to reach USD 4.3 billion by 2034. The food and beverage metal cans market in France is heavily influenced by the shift in consumer preference for sustainable and recyclable packaging. In addition, the ban on single use plastics by the government is pushing the adoption of metal cans among manufacturers to reduce environmental impact and carbon footprint, further fuels the growth of food and beverage metal cans market in the region. 
  
• The Italy food & beverage metal cans market accounted for USD 1.8 billion in the year 2024. The growth of the market in Italy is attributed to the increasing consumption of soft drinks, canned food products, and energy drinks. Moreover, the presence of leading beverage manufacturers and expanding market is driving the shift towards aluminium metal can packaging due to its lightweight and highly recyclability, which pushes the growth of food and beverage metal cans market in the region.
  
• The Spain food and beverage metal cans market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6% by 2034. The rise in the demand for shelf stable food products, craft beers, and ready to drink coffee and tea are the key growth drivers. Also, the rapid expansion of food and beverage processing industry in Spain has led to the increasing investment in advanced metal can manufacturing, which fuels the growth of the food and beverage metal can market in the region.
  

The Asia Pacific region held 25.1% of the global food & beverage metal cans market share in the year 2024. The Asia Pacific region, headed by China, Japan, and South Korea is growing due to increasing demand for sustainable packaging, canned beverage consumption, and the increasing preference for convenience foods and beverage. Moreover, the rapid urbanization and evolving consumer lifestyle coupled with the growing government regulations towards the recyclable and ecofriendly packaging, further propels the growth of the food and beverage metal cans market.

• The food and beverage metal cans market in China is projected to reach USD 12.8 billion by the year 2034. Stringent government regulations on plastic waste reduction, along with the surge in the demand for energy drinks, canned coffee, and functional beverages, are the key growth drivers in the country. Moreover, the rapid expansion of the beverage industry along with the increasing government investment towards advanced can production is pushing the demand for food and beverage metal cans, which supports the market growth in the region.
  
• The Japan food & beverage metal cans market accounted for USD 2.5 billion in 2024. The growth in demand for food and beverage metal cans market is attributed to the surge in demand for premium canned beverage, ready to drink coffee and tea, and the shift in consumer preference towards sustainable packaging. Furthermore, the advanced recycling infrastructure of Japan is pushing the adoption of high quality, recyclable, and resealable metal cans to support the expanding food and beverage industry, which further contribute to market growth.
  
• The India food and beverage metal cans market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 10.7% during the forecast period. The surge in consumption of the carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, and canned food products, particularly in urban areas, is driving the growth of food and beverage metal cans market. Additionally, the governmental led initiatives towards sustainable packaging coupled with the expansion of food and beverage processing industry, further support the market growth in the region.
  

The Latin America region held 9.1% of the global food & beverage metal cans market share in year 2024. The food and beverage metal cans market in Latin America is fueled by the increasing consumption of canned beverage such as beer, soft drinks, and energy drinks. Moreover, the increasing government investment towards aluminium recycling infrastructure and sustainable packaging solution is driving the growth of the food and beverage metal cans market.

The MEA region held 4.1% of the global food and beverage metal cans market share in 2024. The market in the Middle East & Africa is boosting due to the increasing demand for packaged beverage, non alcoholic beverage, and flavoured water, especially in UAE & Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the presence of international food and beverage brand, along with the increasing government initiatives towards ecofriendly packaging supports the growth of the food and beverage metal cans market in the region.

Food & Beverage Metal Cans Market Share

The food & beverage metal cans industry is highly competitive and fragmented with the presence of established global players as well as local players and startups. The top 5 market leader in the global market are Ball Corporation, Crown Holding Inc, Ardagh Group, Silicon Holdings, and CANPACK, collectively accounting for over 35% market share. Major key players of the market are investing in sustainable and innovative packaging solutions to meet the growing demand for eco-friendly, lightweight and high-quality metal cans. The next-generation food and beverage metal cans are focusing towards the enhanced recyclability, lightweight materials and advanced coating, which ensures product integrity, extended shelf life, and compliance with regulatory requirement.

Innovation in metal cans technology such as 100% recyclable aluminium cans, BPA free coatings, and IoT enabled smart cans, are gaining rapid popularity among manufactures, to cater the shift in consumer preference for sustainable and smart packaging. Moreover, the rise in demand for speciality and premium beverage such as craft beer, RTD cocktail and functional beverage is pushing brands to develop infinitely recyclable metal can reduce plastic waste and carbon footprints. Furthermore, the advancement in technology has led to increased adoption of lightweight aluminium cans, self-chilling cans, and resealable cans design to offer enhanced consumer convenience while reducing the material and transportation cost.

Ball corporation is a global leader in the food & beverage metal cans market and has its presence over 50 countries. This firm emphasizes on the aluminium metal cans packaging to provide enhanced recyclability and reducing carbon footprint. Ball corporation offers specialized cans to cater the consumer demand for maintaining ingredients freshness and hot filled beverages. The firm has collaborated with several major brands such as Coco-coal, which further help the firm to gain competitive advantage

Crown Holdings Inc is a close competitor operating in the same vertical and offers wide range of steel and aluminium cans to various industrial and consumer needs. This firm has a presence over 41 country and emphasizes on innovative solutions such as CrownSecure technology, to capture market share.

Food & Beverage Metal Cans Market Companies

The food and beverage metal cans market features several prominent players, including:

• Ball Corporation
• Crown Holdings, Inc.
• Ardagh Group
• Silgan Holdings
• CANPACK 
• Ceylon Beverage Can
• Colep Packaging
• CPMC Holdings Limited
  

Food & Beverage Metal Cans Industry News

• In Jan 2025, Tost Beverage has introduced their 250ml cans for sparkling wines. These cans bottles will provide stylish and portable consumption. These cans are prepared from aluminium material, which is essential to ensure products quality and freshness.
  
• In July 2024, Ball Beverage Packaging is planning to invest approximately USD 8 million to establish a new production unit in Telangana, India. Additionally, Ball has expressed readiness to supply cans for Coca-Cola's upcoming bottling unit in Peddapalli district.
  
• In August 2023, Crown Holding Inc has completed the acquisition of the Saarlouis facility in Europe. This acquisition will strengthen the European beverage can production by adding around one billion units of annual production.
  

The food & beverage metal cans market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue (USD Billion) and volume (Units) from 2021 to 2034, for the following segments:

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By Material

• Aluminium     
• Steel  

By Product Type     

• 1-piece cans 
• 2-piece cans 
• 3-piece cans           

By Capacity  

• Below 330 ml
• 330 ml – 500 ml      
• Above 500 ml

By Application         

• Food cans     
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Meat and seafood
  • Pet food
  • Ready-to-eat food
  • Others
• Beverage cans        
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Non-alcoholic beverages

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America 
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe 
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
• Asia Pacific 
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • South Korea
• Latin America 
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
• Middle East and Africa 
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • UAE