Glycols and Glycol Derivatives: 2026 Market Outlook
Macroeconomic and Industry Environment: Slow Growth and Structural Length
Global macroeconomic indicators suggest a subdued yet moderately improving landscape in 2026. The IMF’s January 2025 update projects global GDP growth of roughly 3.3 percent in both 2025 and 2026. The World Bank expects Latin America and the Caribbean to expand at approximately 2.3 percent in 2025, with a slight increase to roughly 2.5 percent in 2026–27, indicating a gradual improvement but still modest demand for glycols in the region. U.S. forecasts, including the Philadelphia Fed’s Survey of Professional Forecasters, estimate real GDP growth at approximately 1.8 percent in 2026, consistent with slow but positive demand in the packaging, construction, automotive, and industrial sectors. Deloitte’s 2026 chemical-industry outlook describes the sector as operating in a prolonged downcycle, with global chemical production growth revised down to around 2 percent for 2026 due to weak industrial activity, trade friction, and persistent overcapacity.
