On April 17, 2026, China’s National Bureau of Statistics released first-quarter economic data. One figure stood out: 3D printer production volume in the first quarter grew 54.0% year-on-year – a growth rate that far outpaced other major industrial products tracked by the bureau.
Lithium-ion batteries grew 40.8% and industrial robots grew 33.2%. Both of these widely recognized “high-growth sectors” were left behind by 3D printing in the first-quarter data, as 3D printing equipment continued to lead industrial fields.
3D Printing Equipment Output Continues Explosive Growth
The 54% year-on-year growth is not an isolated first-quarter phenomenon. Looking back at full-year 2025 data, 3D printer output grew 52.5%, maintaining a sustained high-growth trajectory. The first-quarter “strong start” is a continuation of accelerating momentum, not its starting point.
In the first quarter, high-tech manufacturing value-added grew 12.5%, equipment manufacturing grew 8.9%, and all industrial enterprises above a designated size grew 6.1%. The 54% growth rate of 3D printing equipment is 4.3 times the average growth rate of high-tech manufacturing and nearly nine times the overall industrial growth rate.
In March, the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 50.4%, up 1.4 percentage points from the previous month, returning to expansion territory. The Business Expectation Index for production and operation reached 53.4%, indicating a clear rebound in enterprise confidence. The recovery on the demand side echoes the high-speed growth on the supply side.
3D Printing Equipment Frequently Appears in National Bureau of Statistics Rankings
Looking back at data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics over the past two years, 3D printing equipment has frequently occupied prominent positions on growth lists, highlighted no fewer than ten times. Selected output data points include:
Full year 2025: China’s 3D printer output grew 52.5% year-on-year
November 2025: 3D printer output grew 100.5% year-on-year
First half of 2025: 3D printer output grew 43.1% year-on-year
First quarter of 2025: 3D printer output grew 44.9% year-on-year
July 2024: 3D printer output grew 25.3% year-on-year
First half of 2024: 3D printer output grew 51.6% year-on-year
First quarter of 2024: 3D printer output grew 40.6% year-on-year
Export Growth for 3D Printing Equipment in 2026
China’s General Administration of Customs also recently released first-quarter 2026 export figures. China’s 3D printer exports in the first quarter grew 119% year-on-year, joining digital cameras as one of the innovative equipment products favored by overseas markets, highlighting the strong global competitiveness of China’s 3D printing industry.
Over the past two years, domestically produced 3D printing equipment has continuously improved in precision, stability, and price. For consumer-grade and desktop devices, the price threshold has dropped significantly, activating procurement demand from small and medium-sized enterprises, 3D printing farms, individual makers, and home users.
