Multilingual packaging witnesses a boom

Based on a report by Towards Packaging, the multilingual packaging market is forecasted to climb by hundreds of millions between 2025 and 2034. This growth, driven by globalisation, is shaping sustainable infrastructure and is supporting related industries.

In addition, as international trade grows, consumer bases diversify, and technological innovation transforms the packaging industry, companies are under greater pressure to communicate across borders.

Europe stands at the forefront of this movement. In 2024, the region dominated the multilingual packaging market, driven by its commitment to multilingualism within the European Union’s 24 official languages. 

Yet, while Europe currently leads, the spotlight is shifting to the Asia Pacific region. The region is expected to reach remarkable growth through 2034, powered by its dynamic consumer industries, booming exports, and innovative product development. From Korean cushion foundations influencing global beauty trends to Japanese cleansing oils reshaping skincare markets, Asia’s multilingual labelling strategy ensures inclusivity across consumer bases.

The industries most dependent on this evolution are food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. In 2024, food and beverage companies claimed the largest share of multilingual packaging, using it to ensure transparency on allergens, ingredients, and nutritional claims for global consumers. 

However, pharmaceuticals are the fastest-growing segment. Accurate, culturally sensitive translations prevent medication errors, protect patients, and build trust in brands. In India, for example, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly adopting sustainable packaging practices, ensuring medicines remain both safe for patients and environmentally friendly. 

Technology is also redefining what multilingual packaging can achieve. Printed labels currently dominate the market, offering extended content solutions that strike a balance between compliance and design. Peel-and-reseal formats allow manufacturers to provide critical multilingual information without overwhelming packaging aesthetics. Yet, flexible packaging is poised to accelerate fastest, supported by innovations in digital printing, blockchain integration, and QR code-based traceability. 

By scanning QR codes, shoppers can access product details in their preferred language, verify sustainability certifications, and trace the origins of products across the supply chain.

Conventional printing, particularly offset lithography, remains the backbone of large-scale multilingual packaging for its efficiency and cost advantages. However, digital printing is rapidly gaining ground. The ability to personalise packaging, print short runs economically, and deliver high-quality designs with fast turnaround is turning digital into a preferred choice for brands targeting niche markets or rapidly changing regulations. 

Artificial intelligence is also pushing the multilingual packaging market into a new era. AI-driven translation, localisation, and regulatory compliance tools are transforming what once was a painstaking manual process. Natural Language Processing ensures accurate, context-aware translations, while AI-powered content management platforms simplify version control across global markets.

Regulatory intelligence systems scan thousands of sources to keep companies aligned with evolving international laws, reducing the risk of non-compliance and costly product recalls. In the pharmaceutical sector, especially, AI offers a critical advantage: delivering accurate multilingual packaging that safeguards patient safety while maintaining speed to market.

However, the market faces challenges. Especially in the pharmaceutical industry, where regulations vary widely across regions. Translating warnings, instructions, and technical data into multiple languages without crowding labels or compromising clarity is a constant balancing act. 

Multilingual packaging ensures a bottle of medicine in Germany carries the same clarity as it does in India, and a snack manufactured in Japan speaks to consumers in Paris or Sao Paulo with equal precision. By bridging language barriers, the multilingual packaging market is fueling growth and weaving together cultures, industries, and communities into the global economy.

This article is based on report by Towards Packaging.