Fluorescent Lighting Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (T8 Fluorescent Lamps, T5 Fluorescent Lamps, T12 Fluorescent Lamps), By Fixture Type (Troffers, Strips, Recessed Fixtures, Suspended Fixtures), By End User (Hospitals, Offices, Retail Spaces, Educational Institutions, Others), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 10.27 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	11.14%
Fastest Growing Segment	T5 Fluorescent Lamps
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 19.35 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Fluorescent Lighting Market will grow from USD 10.27 Billion in 2025 to USD 19.35 Billion by 2031 at a 11.14% CAGR. Fluorescent lighting utilizes gas-discharge technology where mercury vapor excites phosphor coatings to produce visible light, a method widely employed in commercial linear tubes and Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). A key driver supporting the market is the substantial demand for replacement units within existing infrastructure, specifically in cost-sensitive sectors where immediate conversion to newer systems is financially impractical. Furthermore, specialized industrial and agricultural applications continue to utilize these fixtures due to specific spectral requirements, ensuring sustained procurement in distinct segments despite broader technological shifts.

A significant challenge impeding expansion is the stringent global regulatory environment targeting the elimination of mercury-containing devices. International protocols are actively restricting manufacturing, forcing a contraction in available supply and complicating trade compliance. According to LightingEurope, in 2024, the association conducted a market surveillance exercise assessing 275 lighting products to address the issue of non-compliant inventory persisting on online platforms. This emphasizes the operational difficulty of ensuring regulatory adherence while the industry navigates the mandatory phase-out of these legacy products.

Key Market Drivers

Recurring Replacement Demand from Extensive Installed Legacy Infrastructure serves as the foundational pillar for the market's persistence, driven by the sheer volume of existing sockets that require maintenance. Despite the superior efficiency of LED alternatives, the financial and logistical burden of retrofitting entire electrical systems in established residential and public buildings compels facility managers to opt for unit-for-unit replacements. This lock-in effect is particularly evident in mature economies where deep retrofit cycles are slow to materialize. According to The Japan Times, January 2025, in the 'Shift from fluorescent lamps to LEDs to accelerate in Japan' article, fluorescent lamps still account for approximately 40% of lighting in Japan, demonstrating the robust reliance on this technology within established infrastructure.

Widespread Utilization in Commercial and Industrial Facilities further sustains distinct market segments, as businesses prioritize operational continuity and standardized illumination over immediate upgrades. Many industrial environments rely on the specific spectral output and omnidirectional light distribution of linear tubes, ensuring a steady flow of procurement orders for maintenance inventories. This ongoing commercial consumption supports significant global trade volumes. According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), in 2024, China exported $189 million worth of hot cathode fluorescent lamps, highlighting the continued international scale of this product category. However, this utilization faces mounting pressure; according to LightingEurope, October 2024, in the 'Updated phase-out dates' press release, the revised EU Mercury Regulation mandates a strict ban on the manufacturing of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) by December 31, 2025.

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Key Market Challenges

The rigorous global regulatory landscape aimed at phasing out mercury-based lighting constitutes a severe impediment to market stability and growth. As international protocols such as the Minamata Convention and regional directives enforce strict manufacturing bans, the legitimate supply chain faces a rapid and forced contraction. This regulatory pressure compels established manufacturers to cease the production of legacy fluorescent tubes, creating a supply-demand imbalance that unregulated market actors aggressively exploit. The proliferation of illicit inventory complicates trade compliance and significantly erodes the market share of compliant entities that invest heavily in adhering to stringent safety and environmental standards.

This operational challenge is exacerbated by the unchecked influx of sub-standard products through digital channels, which evade standard regulatory oversight and undercut fair competition. The inability to effectively police these marketplaces allows prohibited units to persist, thereby destabilizing pricing structures and stalling the industry's transition. According to LightingEurope, in 2024, the association reported that 100% of the lighting products inspected on online marketplaces during their surveillance exercise were found to be non-compliant with mandatory requirements. This absolute failure rate underscores the magnitude of the enforcement gap, where legitimate businesses are severely disadvantaged by competitors ignoring costly environmental mandates.

Key Market Trends

The Expansion of UV-C Fluorescent Applications for Sterilization is emerging as a critical growth avenue, distinct from the declining general illumination sector. Unlike standard phosphor-based linear tubes that are being phased out, low-pressure mercury discharge lamps emitting at 254nm remain the industry standard for high-efficacy disinfection in water treatment and air purification systems where solid-state alternatives often lack sufficient power density. This functional reliance has necessitated specific regulatory carve-outs to ensure the continued availability of these devices for essential sanitation infrastructure. According to LightingEurope, May 2025, in the 'Statement on RoHS lamp exemptions', the association confirmed it would apply for a renewal of the exemption for mercury in single capped fluorescent lamps designed to emit light in the ultraviolet spectrum, which is currently valid until February 2027.

Concurrently, the Integration of IoT and Smart Control Technologies is transforming the management of lighting estates, including those maintaining legacy discharge systems during transitional phases. Facility managers are increasingly deploying connected bridges and smart ballasts to digitize existing infrastructure, allowing for granular energy monitoring and automated scheduling without immediate full-scale fixture replacement. This digitization strategy extends the operational utility of the installed base while preparing networks for eventual upgrades to advanced digital ecosystems. According to Signify, January 2025, in the 'Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results' report, the company's installed base of connected light points increased to 144 million, reflecting the accelerating shift toward data-enabled lighting environments that integrate various technologies.

Segmental Insights

The T5 Fluorescent Lamps segment is identified as the fastest-growing category in the Global Fluorescent Lighting Market, driven by the urgent demand for energy-efficient alternatives to traditional lighting. This expansion is largely fueled by the systematic replacement of older T8 and T12 models in commercial and industrial sectors. Stringent efficiency standards established by regulatory entities, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, necessitate this shift toward compliant technologies. Consequently, the T5 lamp remains the preferred choice for retrofitting projects aimed at reducing power consumption and meeting environmental mandates.

Regional Insights

North America maintains the leading position in the Global Fluorescent Lighting Market, driven primarily by a substantial installed base of infrastructure across the commercial and industrial sectors. The region encompasses a vast network of office buildings, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions that historically relied on linear fluorescent lamps, creating sustained demand for replacement units in legacy systems. Market analysis indicates that the cost advantages of maintaining existing fixtures rather than immediate full-scale renovation support high revenue retention. Additionally, the market is shaped by efficiency standards from the U.S. Department of Energy, which regulate the performance benchmarks for lighting products available in the region.

Recent Developments

• In July 2025, Ushio Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Entertainment and Industry Lamps business of ams OSRAM, a major consolidation in the global specialty lighting market. This acquisition encompasses a wide range of high-performance lighting technologies, including specialized fluorescent and gas-discharge lamps used in cinema, semiconductor manufacturing, and industrial applications. The strategic move allows Ushio to integrate ams OSRAM’s extensive patent portfolio and manufacturing capabilities, strengthening its position in the niche sectors where fluorescent and discharge lighting technologies remain essential.
• In May 2025, Signify announced the launch of the Philips MASTER LEDtube T8 EM/mains, the first LED tube in Europe manufactured with recycled plastic, directly targeting the replacement market for fluorescent tubes. The new product features a design comprising 40% post-consumer recycled material, sourced from items such as discarded fishing nets and water jugs, and offers a luminous efficacy of up to 185 lumens per watt. This innovation represents a breakthrough in circular economy practices within the lighting industry, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional fluorescent technology while maintaining compatibility with existing electromagnetic ballasts.
• In November 2024, LEDVANCE expanded its portfolio with the launch of the T4 Compact Fluorescent Programmed Rapid Start Ballast, a critical component for the maintenance of existing fluorescent lighting systems. This release was part of a broader product introduction that also included LED replacement solutions, such as the LEDlescent™ 360 SELECT™ T8 Signage Lamps, designed to support the market transition. The new ballast product addresses the ongoing need for reliable components in legacy fluorescent installations that have not yet been retrofitted to LED technology, ensuring continued operation for commercial and industrial users.
• In November 2024, Waste Management (WM) released the "2024 WM Recycling Report," which presented extensive research into the state of recycling behaviors and infrastructure, including specific insights on the disposal of fluorescent lamps. The report highlighted significant gaps in consumer and business awareness regarding the proper recycling of mercury-containing bulbs, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and linear tubes. By identifying these deficiencies, WM aims to drive greater collaboration with municipalities and businesses to improve the recovery rates of hazardous lighting materials, which is a key environmental challenge in the fluorescent lighting market.

Key Market Players

• Philips Lighting N.V.
• Osram Licht AG
• General Electric Company
• Acuity Brands, Inc.
• Havells India Limited
• Panasonic Corporation
• LEDVANCE GmbH
• Zumtobel Group AG
• Fagerhult Group AB
• Cree, Inc.

By Type	By Fixture Type	By End User	By Region
T8 Fluorescent Lamps T5 Fluorescent Lamps T12 Fluorescent Lamps	Troffers Strips Recessed Fixtures Suspended Fixtures	Hospitals Offices Retail Spaces Educational Institutions Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Fluorescent Lighting Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Fluorescent Lighting Market, By Type:

• T8 Fluorescent Lamps
• T5 Fluorescent Lamps
• T12 Fluorescent Lamps

• Fluorescent Lighting Market, By Fixture Type:

• Troffers
• Strips
• Recessed Fixtures
• Suspended Fixtures

• Fluorescent Lighting Market, By End User:

• Hospitals
• Offices
• Retail Spaces
• Educational Institutions
• Others

• Fluorescent Lighting Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE