2026 Packaging Industry Economic Impacts Study
Packaging is essential to how goods move through the U.S. economy, supporting manufacturers, suppliers, transportation providers, service businesses, workers, and communities nationwide. Beyond protecting and delivering products, packaging also drives significant economic activity.
AMERIPEN retained independent economic consulting firm John Dunham & Associates to examine the size and scope of the U.S. packaging industry and quantify its contribution to the national and state economies. The 2026 Packaging Industry Economic Impacts Study measures direct activity from packaging manufacturers, the economic activity their suppliers generate, and the additional impact supported by employee spending.
The study covers packaging made from glass, metals, fiber, and plastics across a wide range of formats, including containers, boxes, cans, bottles, bags, protective packaging, labels, packing materials, envelopes, pallets, and drums. It also examines how packaging production and distribution connect with hundreds of other sectors of the U.S. economy.
The findings estimate that the U.S. packaging industry, its suppliers, and related economic activity generate approximately $694.79 billion in economic output, support 1.82 million jobs, and account for $160.39 billion in wages and benefits. Packaging manufacturers and their employees also contribute approximately $63.35 billion in federal, state, and local taxes.
The report provides both national and state-level findings, along with additional detail on economic impacts by packaging material, supplier type, and sector. Together, the data provide a broader view of the businesses, workers, and communities connected to packaging, as well as the industry’s role in the U.S. economy.
Explore packaging’s economic impact by using our interactive map to view national and state-level data on jobs, wages, economic output, and tax contributions here.