📊 15 Eye-Opening Statistics About 3D Printing in 2020

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Did you know that in 2020, over 2.1 million 3D printers were shipped worldwide, and the global market for additive manufacturing hit a staggering $12.6 billion? That year wasn’t just about numbers—it was a turning point that revealed how 3D printing could revolutionize industries from healthcare to aerospace, especially amid the chaos of a global pandemic. At 3D Printed™, we’ve been on the frontlines,

In this comprehensive deep dive, we’ll explore everything from the dominant technologies and materials to the industries that embraced 3D printing like never before. Curious how COVID-19 accelerated adoption? Or which printing tech ruled the roost? Stick around—we’ve got all the answers, plus insider insights you won’t find anywhere else.


Key Takeaways

  • 2020 marked explosive growth in 3D printing, with a global market valued at $12.6 billion and millions of printers shipped.
  • The healthcare sector emerged as a hero, using 3D printing to fill critical PPE shortages and produce custom medical devices during the pandemic.
  • FDM technology dominated the desktop and prototyping markets, while metal printing saw rapid industrial growth.
  • Mass customization and on-demand manufacturing became more than buzzwords—they started reshaping supply chains.
  • Despite challenges like cost, speed, and material limitations, 3D printing proved its resilience and set the stage for future innovation.

Ready to explore the stats that shaped 2020’s additive manufacturing revolution? Let’s jump in!


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Table of Contents


Here at 3D Printed™, we live and breathe additive manufacturing. From tinkering with our first Creality Ender 3 to running complex industrial prints, we’ve seen it all. The year 2020 was a wild, unpredictable, and absolutely pivotal year for 3D printing. It was a year of crisis and innovation, a pressure cooker that forced the industry to evolve at a breakneck pace. We’re going to pull back the curtain and give you the inside scoop on the most important statistics about 3D printing from that transformative year, blending hard data with our own hands-on experience.

So, grab a coffee, and let’s geek out over the numbers that defined a landmark year for 3D printing!

⚡️ Quick Tips and Facts: Your 2020 3D Printing Snapshot

Pressed for time? Here’s the high-level view of the 3D printing world in 2020. These are the stats that had us buzzing in the workshop.

  • Global Market Value: The global 3D printing market was valued at approximately $12.6 billion in 2020.
  • Printers Shipped: A whopping 2.1 million 3D printers were shipped worldwide in 2020. That’s a lot of new machines humming to life!
  • Top Use Case: Prototyping was still king! In 2020, 68% of companies used 3D printing for prototyping and pre-series manufacturing.
  • Most Popular Tech: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), the tech behind most desktop printers, was the most widely used, with 71% of users running it in-house.
  • COVID-19’s Impact: The pandemic threw a massive spotlight on 3D printing’s ability to create flexible, localized supply chains. Suddenly, everyone was talking about printing PPE!
  • Big Spenders: It wasn’t just a hobbyist game. Over 23% of businesses reported investing more than $100,000 into their 3D printing tech in 2020.

🕰️ The Genesis of Additive Manufacturing: Setting the Stage for 2020

To really appreciate the 2020 statistics, you need a little context. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM) as it’s known in the industry, didn’t just appear out of thin air. It’s been a slow burn since the 1980s, starting with Chuck Hull’s invention of Stereolithography (SLA). For decades, it was a niche, prohibitively expensive technology locked away in the R&D labs of giant corporations.

Then, in the 2000s, key patents began to expire. This was the “Big Bang” for the desktop 3D printing movement. The RepRap project, an initiative to create an open-source, self-replicating 3D printer, blew the doors wide open. Suddenly, innovators like Prusa Research and Creality could build on this foundation, bringing affordable and capable machines to the masses.

By the time 2020 rolled around, the industry was a two-headed beast: a booming consumer/hobbyist market and a rapidly maturing industrial sector. This dual-market dynamic is crucial to understanding the numbers that follow.

📈 The 3D Printing Industry in 2020: A Deep Dive into Market Statistics

Alright, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. How much was the industry actually worth, and where was it headed?

Global Market Size & Revenue: How Big Was the Pie?

In 2020, the global 3D printing market hit a valuation of $12.6 billion. This number represents everything—hardware, materials, software, and services. It’s a testament to how far the industry had come from its niche origins. We saw this on the ground floor; what used to be a special request from a client became a standard part of their design process.

Growth Trajectories: Unpacking the Year-over-Year Expansion

Even with the global economic uncertainty of 2020, the 3D printing market was on a serious growth path. Projections from around that time predicted a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 21% between 2021 and 2028. Some analysts were even more bullish, suggesting growth between 18% and 27% annually. This wasn’t just hype; it was a reflection of the technology’s increasing adoption across major sectors.

Regional Dominance: Who’s Leading the Additive Race?

North America was a major player, holding a significant chunk of the market. While specific 2020 figures are hard to pin down, the region’s market was valued at $5.72 billion the following year in 2021, indicating its strength in 2020. Europe and the Asia-Pacific region were also hotspots of innovation and adoption, driven by strong manufacturing and automotive sectors.

Venture capitalists were definitely paying attention. While the big headline was that VC funding for 3D printing start-ups surpassed $300 million back in 2018, that momentum carried into 2020. The money was flowing into companies specializing in new materials, software powered by AI, and post-processing automation—all areas that were critical for scaling up production.

🌍 Industry Verticals: Where 3D Printing Made the Biggest Impact in 2020

3D printing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. In 2020, its impact varied wildly depending on the industry. Here’s a breakdown of the key players.

1. Healthcare & Medical: A Lifeline in a Pandemic Year

If there was one sector where 3D printing had its hero moment in 2020, it was healthcare. The healthcare 3D printing market was valued at $1.036 billion in 2020. When traditional supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE) crumbled under the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, a global army of makers and 3D printing companies stepped up. We even dedicated our entire farm of printers at 3D Printed™ to producing face shield components for local hospitals!

Beyond PPE, the technology was crucial for:

  • Surgical guides: Custom, 3D-printed guides for knee and hip replacements.
  • Customized prosthetics: Creating perfectly fitting and affordable limbs.
  • Anatomical models: Allowing surgeons to practice complex procedures on realistic organ replicas.

2. Automotive Sector: Driving Innovation Forward

The automotive industry has always been a big adopter of 3D printing for prototyping. In 2020, this continued to be a primary use case, allowing companies like Ford and BMW to rapidly iterate on designs. But we also saw a growing trend towards using 3D printing for tooling, jigs, and fixtures, which are the custom parts that hold components in place during the manufacturing and assembly process. This drastically cut down on production line setup times.

3. Aerospace & Defense: Soaring to New Heights

For aerospace, weight is everything. 3D printing allows for the creation of incredibly complex, lightweight parts through generative design—something impossible with traditional manufacturing. Companies like GE Aviation were already using 3D-printed fuel nozzles in their jet engines. In 2020, the focus was on expanding the portfolio of flight-certified, 3D-printed parts, from brackets to turbine blades.

4. Consumer Goods & Electronics: Personalization at Scale

This is where things get really cool for the average person. Brands were increasingly using 3D printing for mass customization. The most famous example is Adidas and their 4DFWD running shoes, which feature a 3D-printed midsole designed for optimal energy return. This wasn’t a concept shoe; it was a mass-produced product, signaling a major shift in manufacturing possibilities.

5. Industrial & Manufacturing: The Backbone of Production

In general manufacturing, 40% of companies were using 3D printing to create functional or end-use parts in 2020. This shows a significant move beyond just making models. Companies were printing replacement parts on-demand, reducing the need for large, expensive inventories.

6. Education & Research: Cultivating Future Innovators

We can’t forget education! 2020 saw a continued push to get 3D printers into schools and universities. It’s an incredible tool for teaching STEM concepts, allowing students to turn their digital designs into physical objects. Check out our articles on 3D Printing in Education for more on this exciting area.

🛠️ Dominant Technologies in 2020: What’s Printing the Future?

Not all 3D printers are created equal. The technology you use dictates everything from speed and cost to material compatibility. Here’s what the landscape looked like in 2020.

FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling): The Ubiquitous Workhorse

✅ Pros: Affordable, easy to use, wide range of materials.
❌ Cons: Lower resolution, visible layer lines.

This is the technology most people picture when they think of 3D printing. It works by extruding a thermoplastic filament layer by layer. As mentioned, a massive 71% of users had an FDM printer in-house in 2020. It’s the undisputed king of the desktop and hobbyist market, and a go-to for quick and cheap prototypes in the professional world. Our 3D Printer Reviews section is filled with great FDM options.

SLA (Stereolithography) & DLP (Digital Light Processing): Precision and Detail

✅ Pros: Incredible detail, smooth surface finish.
❌ Cons: Messier post-processing, materials can be brittle.

These resin-based technologies use a light source (a laser for SLA, a projector for DLP) to cure liquid resin into a solid object. The SLA market alone was worth $1.6 billion in 2020. It’s the preferred choice for applications where fine detail is paramount, like jewelry, dental models, and miniature figurines for tabletop gaming.

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) & MJF (Multi Jet Fusion): Industrial Powerhouses

✅ Pros: Strong, functional parts; no need for support structures.
❌ Cons: High cost of entry, requires a dedicated space.

These are the big guns of polymer 3D printing. Both technologies use a heat source to fuse powdered plastic (usually nylon) together. They are fantastic for creating durable, end-use parts with complex geometries. In 2020, SLS was the second most popular technology, though many companies (42%) opted to use it as an external service rather than buying a machine themselves due to the cost.

Metal Additive Manufacturing (DMLS, SLM, Binder Jetting): The Rise of Metal

✅ Pros: Creates strong, lightweight metal parts impossible to make otherwise.
❌ Cons: Extremely expensive, complex workflow.

Metal 3D printing was arguably the fastest-growing and most exciting segment. While plastics were still dominant, the use of metal was on a steep rise. Technologies like Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM) were being used to print everything from medical implants to rocket engine components.

🧪 Materials Matter: The Building Blocks of 3D Printing in 2020

A printer is nothing without its material. The expansion of the material portfolio was a key driver of growth in 2020.

  • Polymer Power: Plastics, in filament (for FDM) and powder (for SLS) form, still reigned supreme. They are versatile, relatively cheap, and easy to work with.
  • Metal Mania: The range of printable metals was expanding rapidly, including stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, and Inconel. This was critical for adoption in the aerospace and medical fields.
  • Composites & Ceramics: While more niche, materials like carbon-fiber-infused nylon (for strong, lightweight parts) and technical ceramics (for high-temperature applications) were gaining traction.

🎯 Beyond Prototypes: Real-World Applications & Their Market Impact in 2020

For years, the story of 3D printing was “it’s great for prototypes.” In 2020, that narrative was finally, decisively changing.

Prototyping vs. End-Use Parts: Shifting Paradigms

While prototyping was still the number one application with a market value of $4.4 billion, the creation of functional, end-use parts was catching up fast. This shift was enabled by better machines and stronger materials. Companies were no longer just asking, “Can we make a model of it?” They were asking, “Can we print the final product?”

Tooling, Jigs, & Fixtures: Boosting Manufacturing Efficiency

This is one of the unsung heroes of 3D printing’s industrial impact. The ability to quickly print custom tools and fixtures saved manufacturers immense amounts of time and money. The molds and tooling sector, valued at $5.2 billion in 2020, was projected to see massive growth.

Mass Customization & On-Demand Manufacturing: The New Normal

The dream of “mass customization”—products tailored to the individual but produced at scale—started to become a reality. Think custom earbuds, personalized shoe insoles, and tailored medical devices. This ties into the on-demand manufacturing model, where products are only made when they are ordered, slashing waste and inventory costs. Many of the coolest 3D Printable Objects leverage this capability.

🦠 The Unforeseen Catalyst: COVID-19’s Impact on 3D Printing in 2020

You can’t talk about 2020 without talking about the pandemic. It was a global tragedy, but it also acted as an unexpected accelerator for 3D printing adoption.

Supply Chain Resilience: A Global Wake-Up Call

When global supply chains buckled, companies that had invested in 3D printing had a secret weapon. They could print needed parts in-house, bypassing shuttered factories and clogged ports. This was a powerful lesson, with 55% of companies agreeing that 3D printing could improve their supply chain flexibility.

Emergency Response & Medical Device Production

The grassroots effort to print PPE was inspiring. But it wasn’t just hobbyists. Companies like Carbon used their advanced printers to produce millions of nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 test kits. An Italian startup famously reverse-engineered and printed a critical valve for life-saving ventilators when the original supplier couldn’t deliver. These were powerful proofs of concept for the technology’s agility.

Decentralized Manufacturing: The Local Advantage

The pandemic highlighted the fragility of centralized manufacturing. 3D printing offered a vision of a different future: a network of distributed, local manufacturing hubs that could be activated on demand. This idea, a core part of the 3D Printing Innovations we follow, gained serious traction in 2020.

🏡 Industrial vs. Consumer 3D Printing: A Tale of Two Markets

The 3D printing world of 2020 was really two separate, but connected, ecosystems.

The Professional Powerhouses: Industrial Adoption

On the industrial side, adoption was about ROI. Companies invested heavily, with over 23% spending more than $100K, because the technology solved real business problems: it accelerated product development, reduced manufacturing costs, and enabled new design possibilities.

On the consumer side, the market was driven by passion, creativity, and increasingly capable and affordable machines. Of the 2.1 million printers shipped in 2020, a huge number landed on the desks of hobbyists, makers, and small business owners. This created a vibrant community sharing models on sites like Thingiverse and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with desktop machines.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Despite the growth, the industry in 2020 faced significant challenges that were holding back even wider adoption.

Cost & Speed: Still Barriers to Entry?

Yes and no. While desktop FDM printers had become very affordable, the industrial machines—especially metal printers—still represented a massive capital investment. Furthermore, 69% of companies felt that 3D printing needed to become more reliable and have a lower cost of entry to be truly mainstream. Speed was another factor; for true mass production, 3D printing was often still too slow compared to traditional methods like injection molding.

Material Limitations & Post-Processing Woes

While the material selection was growing, it was still a fraction of what was available for traditional manufacturing. Post-processing—the cleaning, curing, and finishing of printed parts—was another major bottleneck. As highlighted in a 2020 trends video by Materialise, this was often a manual, costly, and time-consuming stage that limited scalability. Investing in automated post-processing was seen as vital for the industry’s future.

Quality Control & Standardization: The Path to Mainstream

How do you guarantee that a part printed in one machine is identical to a part printed in another, thousands of miles away? This was a huge challenge. A lack of international standards and quality assurance protocols led 29% of companies to cite a lack of confidence in the technology’s reliability as a major deterrent.

Sustainability & Environmental Footprint: A Growing Concern

The 3D printing community was also beginning to look inward. While the technology can reduce waste by only using the material needed (additive vs. subtractive), questions were being raised about the energy consumption of printers and the recyclability of plastic waste. As Materialise’s CEO noted, sustainability needed to become a top priority for the industry. [Featured Video]

🔮 The Road Ahead: What 2020 Foreshadowed for Additive Manufacturing

Looking back, 2020 wasn’t just a year of numbers; it was a year of signals that pointed to the future of the industry. The trends that gained momentum then are what we’re living and breathing today.

One of the most insightful perspectives from that time came from the industry pioneers at Materialise. In their 2020 trends outlook, they identified several key areas that would define the next phase of additive manufacturing:

  • Laying the Foundations for AI: With more printers collecting more data, the stage was set for Artificial Intelligence. The goal? To use AI to analyze vast datasets from the printing process to predict failures, optimize parameters, and ensure quality control. It’s about turning data into actionable insights.
  • A New Climate of Innovation: The convergence of faster machines, new materials (like flexible TPU), and better 3D Design Software was creating a perfect storm of innovation, enabling applications that were previously impossible.
  • Automating Post-Processing: As we mentioned, this was a huge bottleneck. The push to automate these steps was seen as essential for scaling up to true mass customization and production.
  • Sustainability as a Core Principle: The industry recognized it had a responsibility to minimize its environmental footprint, from reducing energy use to developing more recyclable and biodegradable materials.

The challenges of 2020—supply chain disruptions, the need for rapid innovation, and a lack of skilled workers (71% of companies felt they lacked the knowledge to use 3D printing efficiently)—were the very things that highlighted its biggest strengths and set the agenda for the years to come.

✅ Conclusion: Our Take on 3D Printing’s Pivotal Year

Wow, what a ride 2020 was for 3D printing! From our vantage point at 3D Printed™, it was a year that truly showcased the transformative power of additive manufacturing. The numbers tell a compelling story: a $12.6 billion market, millions of printers shipped, and a surge in adoption across industries. But beyond the stats, 2020 was the year 3D printing proved its mettle under pressure — especially during the COVID-19 crisis, when it became a lifeline for healthcare and supply chains worldwide.

We saw the strengths of 3D printing shine through: rapid prototyping, mass customization, and the ability to produce complex geometries impossible with traditional methods. The challenges—cost, speed, material limitations, and quality control—were also crystal clear, setting the stage for the innovations we’re witnessing today.

If you’re wondering whether 3D printing is just a passing fad or a foundational technology, the answer is clear: it’s here to stay and grow. Whether you’re a hobbyist printing your first figurine or an industrial engineer designing flight-critical parts, 2020 was the year that proved 3D printing’s relevance and resilience.

Curious about what to print next or how to get started? Check out our 3D Printable Objects and 3D Design Software guides to fuel your creativity!


Ready to dive deeper or gear up with the best tools? Here are some top picks and resources to keep your 3D printing journey rolling:


❓ FAQ: Your Burning Questions About 2020 3D Printing Statistics Answered

2020 was marked by rapid market expansion, with a global valuation of $12.6 billion and over 2 million printers shipped. Growth was fueled by increased adoption in healthcare (especially due to COVID-19), automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods. The pandemic accelerated the shift toward decentralized manufacturing and on-demand production, highlighting 3D printing’s agility and supply chain resilience. Investment in advanced materials and AI-driven process optimization also gained momentum.

How did the 3D printing industry impact manufacturing in 2020?

3D printing transitioned from a prototyping tool to a production enabler. About 40% of companies used it for functional parts, tooling, and end-use products. It reduced inventory costs by enabling on-demand manufacturing and allowed for mass customization at scale. The ability to rapidly iterate designs shortened product development cycles, giving manufacturers a competitive edge.

Plastics remained dominant, especially thermoplastics like PLA, ABS, and nylon used in FDM and SLS printing. However, metal printing saw the fastest growth, with materials like stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum gaining traction in aerospace and medical sectors. Composites (carbon fiber-infused polymers) and ceramics were emerging niches, expanding the functional applications of 3D printing.

Which sectors saw the highest adoption of 3D printing in 2020?

Healthcare led the charge, with a $1.036 billion market value, driven by urgent needs for PPE and medical devices during the pandemic. Automotive and aerospace sectors continued heavy use for prototyping and end-use parts. Consumer goods embraced mass customization, exemplified by Adidas’s 3D-printed shoes. Industrial manufacturing and education also saw significant adoption for tooling and training purposes.

What advancements in 3D printing technology occurred in 2020?

Key advancements included:

  • Increased adoption of metal additive manufacturing technologies like DMLS and SLM.
  • Growth in resin-based printing (SLA/DLP) for high-detail applications.
  • Improvements in post-processing automation to reduce bottlenecks.
  • Early integration of AI and data analytics to optimize print quality and reliability.
  • Expansion of material options, including flexible and composite materials.

How did 3D printing influence product prototyping in 2020?

Prototyping remained the dominant use case, accounting for 68% of applications. 3D printing enabled faster design iterations, reduced costs, and allowed for complex geometries that traditional methods couldn’t achieve. This accelerated innovation cycles and helped companies bring products to market more quickly.

What are the top things people printed using 3D printers in 2020?

From our experience and community reports, popular prints included:

  • Personal protective equipment (PPE): Face shields, mask components.
  • Medical models: Surgical guides, prosthetics.
  • Functional parts: Replacement machine components, tooling.
  • Consumer items: Customized phone cases, figurines, and household gadgets.
  • Educational models: Anatomical and engineering teaching aids.


We hope this deep dive has answered your burning questions and sparked new ideas for your 3D printing adventures. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, 2020’s data shows one thing loud and clear: the future is additive, and it’s brighter than ever! 🚀

Jacob
Jacob

Jacob is the editor of 3D-Printed.org, where he leads a team of engineers and writers that turn complex 3D printing into clear, step-by-step guides—covering printers, materials, slicer workflows, and real-world projects.

With decades of experience as a maker and software engineer who studied 3D modeling in college, Jacob focuses on reliable settings, print economics, and sustainable practices so readers can go from first layer to finished part with fewer failed prints. When he’s not testing filaments, 3D modeling, or dialing in 3D printer profiles, Jacob’s writing helps beginners build confidence and experienced users push for production-ready results.

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