Wohlers Report 2026: 3D Printing Hits $24.2 Billion — Services Are Now the Industry

The Wohlers Report 2026 dropped this week, and if you follow the numbers in additive manufacturing, it makes for interesting reading. Global AM revenues hit $24.231 billion in 2025 — a 10.9% increase year-on-year. Solid growth. But dig into the structure of that growth and the industry looks very different from the hype years.

The Big Number: $24.2 Billion

Total global AM revenues of $24.2 billion in 2025 continues the industry's upward trajectory, though the pace has slowed significantly from the 20%+ growth rates seen pre-pandemic. The 31st annual edition of the Wohlers Report — compiled from over 1,200 responses across 570 companies worldwide — paints a picture of a market that's maturing rather than accelerating.

Services Beat Hardware — By a Country Mile

Here's the real story: AM services grew 15.5% in 2025 and now account for 48% of the entire market. Machine sales? Up just 3.6%. Materials revenue is also rising, consistent with companies running their existing printers harder rather than buying new ones.

What this means: companies are no longer rushing to buy machines. They're either turning to specialist service providers for their AM needs, or they're squeezing more utilisation out of equipment they already own. The era of "buy a printer, figure it out later" is being replaced by "prove the ROI, then scale."

Regional Breakdown

Growth is happening everywhere, but not equally:

• Asia-Pacific: +19.8% — the fastest growing region, with China's expanding domestic AM capability a major factor (the 2026 report has expanded coverage of China specifically)
• Americas: +12.6% — solid growth, partly driven by defence and aerospace demand
• EMEA: +9% — the slowest of the three regions, reflecting both economic headwinds in Europe and a more saturated installed base

What This Means for the Desktop/Hobbyist Side

The Wohlers Report is primarily an industrial AM document — it's tracking metal printers, service bureaus, and aerospace contracts. But the trend it identifies maps onto the consumer side too. The printers that are winning in 2026 aren't necessarily the newest — they're the ones that work reliably and get used.

That's why we're seeing Bambu, Prusa, and Bambu again dominating — not because they're the most innovative on paper, but because people actually run them. The utilisation-over-expansion thesis plays out at every level of this industry.

The Honest Caveat

10.9% growth sounds good. But the Wohlers Report notes a prevailing "caution and neutrality" in the market. Companies remain hesitant to invest in new systems. This isn't a crisis — it's consolidation. The industry is figuring out who delivers real value and who was riding the hype wave. That process isn't fun for everyone, but it's healthy for the long term.

The full Wohlers Report 2026 is available from Wohlers Associates. It's not cheap, but if you're making business decisions in this space, it's the benchmark.