The educational furniture sector is anticipated to expand from a valuation of US$ 7,783.45 million in 2022 to US$ 11,611.64 million by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% during the period from 2022 to 2030.
Choosing the appropriate educational furniture is crucial in the development of educational infrastructure.
Furniture designed for educational settings is tailored to enhance high-performance learning environments. Manufacturers provide a variety of products including tables, chairs, benches, soft rock chairs, and more, suitable for classrooms, libraries, and transitional spaces. In the United States, various types of student seating such as the ChangeUp Tablet Arm, Intellect Wave Chair, Learn2 Seating, Ricochet Stool, and Ruckus Chair are gaining popularity in schools. Additionally, a wide range of tables, including rectangular, arc, blade, blend, delta, diamond, kidney, round, flip-door plane, and D-top designs, are readily available for use in classrooms, makerspaces, cafeterias, libraries, common areas, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) settings. Furthermore, manufacturers are enhancing their market position through mergers and acquisitions, as well as by introducing innovative products to attract a broader customer base.
The global educational furniture market is categorized by product type into benches and chairs, desks and tables, storage units, and other categories. In 2021, the benches and chairs segment dominated the market share and is projected to experience the highest CAGR throughout the forecast period. These items are supplied in large quantities to educational institutions worldwide. School chairs come in various designs and are primarily constructed from wood, metal, and synthetic plastic materials. Leading market players offer a diverse range of benches and chairs, including the Magis Spun Chair, Caper Stacking Chair, Intellect Wave Chair, Ruckus Chair, Stacking Study Chair, Ergo Stacking Chair, and other study chairs, catering to the diverse needs of customers globally.
The educational furniture market is divided into regions: Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, North America, and South & Central America. In 2021, North America held the largest share of the global market, while the Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Within Asia Pacific, countries such as China, India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and others are included. The increasing emphasis on education in both urban and rural areas, along with the implementation of compulsory primary education initiatives by various governments, has led to the establishment of numerous schools and educational institutions in this region. For instance, in May 2020, the Indian government announced financial assistance of US$ 819,400 to Nepal for the construction of school facilities, thereby enhancing educational infrastructure in Nepal. Such government initiatives and funding schemes contribute significantly to the rising demand for educational furniture in the region.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on economies and industries worldwide, leading to lockdowns, travel restrictions, and business closures. These disruptions affected global supply chains, manufacturing processes, delivery timelines, and sales of both essential and non-essential products. Many companies reported potential delays in product deliveries and a decline in future sales during 2020. Additionally, travel bans imposed by various governments, including those of the US, China, India, Germany, and Italy, hindered collaboration and partnership efforts among companies. These challenges adversely affected the consumer goods sector in 2020 and early 2021, consequently restraining the growth of markets related to this sector, including educational furniture.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant operational disruptions in the European market. The prolonged closure of schools due to the pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for the educational furniture sector in the region. Supply chain disruptions related to production and transportation delays negatively impacted the market. However, several countries within the European Union provided financial assistance to support affected industries. For example, Italy allocated US$ 233.4 million under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RPP), with US$ 23.4 million designated for initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of education and training across all levels, from early childhood education to higher education.
Key players in the global educational furniture market include AFC Furniture Solutions Pvt Ltd, Fleetwood Group Inc, Scholar Craft Products Inc, Smith Systems Manufacturing Co, Knoll Inc, Haworth Inc, Vitra International AG, Virco Manufacturing Corp, Office Line Srl, and Creaciones Falcon SLU. These companies are pursuing strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, as well as launching new products to broaden their geographic reach and expand their customer base.
The overall size of the global educational furniture market has been determined through a combination of primary and secondary research methods. The research process began with extensive secondary research utilizing both internal and external sources to gather qualitative and quantitative data related to the market. Additionally, numerous primary interviews were conducted with industry participants to validate the findings and gain deeper analytical insights. Participants included industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers, as well as external consultants like valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders specializing in the global educational furniture market.