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White Spirits Market

The market for White Spirits was estimated at $7.3 billion in 2025; it is anticipated to increase to $9.4 billion by 2030, with projections indicating growth to around $12.1 billion by 2035.

Report ID:DS1301077
Author:Vineet Pandey - Business Consultant
Published Date:
Datatree
Chemicals & Materials
Bulk & Commodity Chemicals
White Spirits
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Report Summary
Market Data
Methodology
Table of Contents

Global White Spirits Market Outlook

Revenue, 2025

$7.3B

Forecast, 2035

$12.1B

CAGR, 2026 - 2035

5.2%

The White Spirits industry revenue is expected to be around $7.3 billion in 2026 and expected to showcase growth with 5.2% CAGR between 2026 and 2035. Building on this trajectory, the White Spirits market is consolidating its position as a critical solvent platform across coatings, construction, automotive, and general industrial maintenance, driven by expanding refurbishment cycles, urban infrastructure projects, and the need for reliable, cost-effective industrial solvents in both mature and emerging economies. Within the White Spirits industry, Paints & Coatings and Thinner & Solvent end-use segments together account for 60.0% of overall consumption, underscoring their role as the primary demand engines for paint thinners and cleaning solvents in professional and DIY applications. Type 2 White Spirits, favored for their balanced solvency, controlled evaporation rate, and relatively low odor profile, dominated industry revenues with approximately $2.31 billion in sales in 2025, highlighting their strong adoption in decorative paints, automotive refinishing, and industrial coating systems amid ongoing reformulation toward more refined, low-aromatic white spirits and high flash point solvents.

White Spirits, commonly referred to as mineral spirits, are petroleum-derived hydrocarbon solvents characterized by a medium distillation range, good solvency for oils and alkyd resins, low water miscibility, and broad compatibility with organic binders used in modern coating formulations. These versatile White Spirits solvent grades serve as essential paint thinners in architectural and industrial paints & coatings, as cleaning solvents and degreasing agents for tools, equipment, and metal parts, and as functional carriers within metalworking fluids, adhesives, and certain printing and ink-related processes. Recent trends shaping White Spirits demand include a marked shift toward low-odor and low-aromatic white spirits to enhance worker safety and indoor air quality, rising consumption in higher-value decorative paints in fast-growing construction markets, and continued product innovation aimed at delivering performance-efficient, regulation-aligned solutions that maintain the competitive relevance of White Spirits in a gradually tightening solvent regulatory landscape.

White Spirits market outlook with forecast trends, drivers, opportunities, supply chain, and competition 2025-2035
White Spirits Market Outlook

Market Key Insights

  • The White Spirits market is projected to grow from $7.3 billion in 2025 to $12.1 billion in 2035. This represents a CAGR of 5.2%, reflecting rising demand across Paints & Coatings, Cleaning Solution Manufacturing, and Print Industry.

  • Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Total SA, and ExxonMobil are among the leading players in this market, shaping its competitive landscape.

  • China and U.S. are the top markets within the White Spirits market and are expected to observe the growth CAGR of 3.4% to 5.0% between 2025 and 2030.

  • Emerging markets including Indonesia, Nigeria and Thailand are expected to observe highest growth with CAGR ranging between 6.0% to 7.2%.

  • Transition like SustainabilityDriven Changes has greater influence in China and United States market's value chain; and is expected to add $250 million of additional value to White Spirits industry revenue by 2030.

  • The White Spirits market is set to add $4.8 billion between 2025 and 2035, with manufacturer targeting Thinner & Solvent & Fuels Application projected to gain a larger market share.

  • With

    rising demand in paints and coatings industry, and

    Growth in Water Purification Process, White Spirits market to expand 66% between 2025 and 2035.

white spirits market size with pie charts of major and emerging country share, CAGR, trends for 2025 and 2032
White Spirits - Country Share Analysis

Opportunities in the White Spirits

Professional tradespeople and serious DIY consumers increasingly demand low-odour, low-VOC cleaning agents, creating opportunities for de-aromatized White Spirits in household, workshop, and light industrial solvents. Retailers and e-commerce platforms seek safer alternatives for brush cleaning, equipment degreasing, and small-scale metalworking fluids without sacrificing solvency power. Globally, Type 3 White Spirits, valued at $1.50 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $1.93 billion by 2030 at a 5.14% CAGR, are also positioned to capture the fastest growth in these eco-friendly solvents niches.

Growth Opportunities in Asia-Pacific and Europe

In Asia-Pacific, the White Spirits market is propelled by accelerating construction, industrial coatings, and automotive refinishing, making paints & coatings the most influential end-use segment and underpinning robust White Spirits demand across mineral spirits and paint thinners. Top opportunities lie in upgrading to low-aromatic white spirits and odorless, high-purity grades tailored for construction coatings, OEM automotive paints, and metal cleaning, as regulators gradually tighten VOC and worker-safety standards. Competitive intensity is high, with integrated regional refiners and local blenders leveraging cost advantages and proximity to demand centers, compelling suppliers to differentiate via consistent quality, narrow-cut specifications, and customized industrial solvents for cleaning agent and degreasing agent applications in metalworking and oil & gas maintenance. Key growth drivers include large-scale urbanization, infrastructure programs, rising output in manufacturing hubs across China, India, and Southeast Asia, and the substitution of informal solvent blends with branded, specification-compliant White Spirits that enhance performance and reduce operational risk for end-users.
In Europe, the White Spirits market is shaped by stringent environmental regulations and advanced formulation standards, pushing demand toward low-odor, low-aromatic white spirits and specialty mineral spirits primarily for high-performance paints & coatings and professional cleaning agent systems. The most attractive opportunities are in niche, high-value segments such as eco-optimized industrial solvents for industrial maintenance coatings, heritage building restoration, automotive refinishing, and precision metal cleaning, where premium grades can command higher margins and long-term supply agreements. Competition centers on established energy and specialty chemical producers that emphasize compliance, traceability, and technical support, prompting new and existing players to invest in R&D for reformulated paint thinners and degreasing agents compatible with waterborne and high-solids coatings. Regional drivers include renovation of aging building stock, stricter emissions and worker-safety rules, and customer preference for certified, environmentally responsible White Spirits, creating scope for differentiated product positioning around sustainability credentials, low VOC content, and lifecycle performance advantages.

Market Dynamics and Supply Chain

01

Driver: Rising Construction Activities And Expanding Automotive Refinishing Demand

Growing construction activities worldwide are also significantly driving white spirits consumption, particularly in architectural paints and protective coatings. Rapid urban development, residential remodeling, and infrastructure upgrades are also increasing demand for oil based paints, primers, and varnishes where white spirits function as effective thinning and leveling agents. Their controlled evaporation rate supports smooth film formation, making them suitable for decorative and exterior coatings. At the same time, expanding automotive refinishing and maintenance markets are also strengthening solvent demand. Vehicle repair workshops rely on white spirits for surface preparation, degreasing, and dilution of alkyd based coatings. Rising vehicle ownership and aging car fleets in emerging economies are also fueling refinishing cycles. Together, these trends reinforce stable solvent consumption across both construction and automotive value chains.
Increasing regulatory focus on volatile organic compound emissions is also driving demand for low aromatic and highly refined white spirits. Manufacturers are also investing in hydrotreated and dearomatized grades that offer reduced odor, lower toxicity, and improved environmental compliance. These advanced formulations are also gaining traction in indoor paints, household cleaners, and printing applications where worker safety and air quality standards are also critical. Technological improvements in refining processes have also enabled consistent purity levels and better performance stability, encouraging adoption among premium coating and cleaning product manufacturers.
02

Restraint: Stringent Environmental Regulations And VOC Emission Limits Restrict White Spirits Demand

Regulatory restrictions on volatile organic compounds (VOC) and stringent environmental standards significantly restrain the white spirits market. Many regions are enforcing tighter VOC limits in paints, coatings, and solvents, which discourages the use of conventional white spirits with higher hydrocarbon emissions. For example, several European and North American jurisdictions now favor low VOC compliant or water-based alternatives in decorative paints and industrial cleaners, reducing demand for traditional white spirits. These regulatory pressures compel manufacturers to reformulate products or switch to eco-friendly solvents, leading to reduced sales volumes and revenue declines in markets that historically relied on white spirits.
03

Opportunity: Surging Decorative Paints Demand In Residential Construction Across India and Automotive Refinishing And OEM Coatings Applications In European Union

India’s fast-growing construction sector and middle-class home upgrades are expanding demand for decorative and architectural coatings where White Spirits act as efficient paint thinners and surface cleaners. Urban redevelopment and repainting cycles favour durable alkyd enamels, primers, and solvent-based wood finishes, keeping solvent demand resilient despite gradual waterborne adoption. Globally, Type 1 White Spirits revenues are projected to grow from $1.64 billion in 2025 to $2.17 billion by 2030 at a 5.8% CAGR, aligning with the strongest growth in Indian decorative paints applications.
Stricter performance and appearance standards in the European Union automotive coatings industry are increasing reliance on high-purity White Spirits grades for both OEM and refinishing lines. Body shops and manufacturers need consistent evaporation rates and superior degreasing, driving interest in tailored solvent blends and technical supply partnerships. Globally, Type 2 White Spirits are forecast to rise from $2.31 billion in 2025 to $2.97 billion by 2030 at a 5.2% CAGR, while Type 0 gains in premium, low-aromatic formulations for complex multi-layer coatings.
04

Challenge: Availability Of Alternative Solvents And Water Based Technologies Dampens Market Growth

The growing availability of alternative solvents and water based technologies poses a key restraint on the white spirits market. Industries such as printing, cleaning, and coatings are increasingly adopting water-based, bio-based, or citrus derived solvents that offer lower toxicity, reduced odor, and improved environmental profiles. For example, water-based paints and cleaning solutions are gaining preference in automotive and household segments due to consumer demand for safer chemicals. This shift decreases the overall demand for white spirits, forcing producers to innovate and potentially impacting long term market revenues and traditional solvent supply chains.

Supply Chain Landscape

1

Crude Sourcing

ExxonMobil CorporationRoyal Dutch Shell PLCTotal SA
2

White Spirits Production

Idemitsu Kosan Co. LTDThaiOil GroupTotal SA
3

Solvent Distribution

Royal Dutch Shell PLCExxonMobil CorporationIdemitsu Kosan Co. LTD
4

End-use Industries

Decorative Paints And CoatingsIndustrial Degreasing And Cleaning
White Spirits - Supply Chain

Use Cases of White Spirits in Paints & Coatings & Print Industry

Paints & Coatings : White spirits are widely used in paints and coatings as a versatile solvent that enhances application performance and finish quality. In this segment, low aromatic and dearomatized white spirits are most commonly used due to their reduced odor and improved safety profile. They act as thinning agents in oil based paints, alkyd enamels, varnishes, and primers, helping to adjust viscosity for smooth brushing, rolling, or spraying. Their controlled evaporation rate supports uniform film formation and better leveling, which improves gloss and surface appearance. In industrial coatings, white spirits also assist in pigment dispersion and cleaning of equipment, making them essential in both decorative and protective coating systems.
Cleaning Solution Manufacturing : In cleaning solution manufacturing, white spirits serve as effective hydrocarbon solvents for removing grease, oil, wax, and adhesive residues. Regular and low aromatic grades are typically used depending on regulatory requirements and odor sensitivity. Their strong solvency power enables the formulation of degreasers for automotive parts, machinery maintenance, and metal surface preparation. White spirits dissolve heavy hydrocarbon contaminants without excessively attacking metal substrates, making them suitable for industrial maintenance products. In household and commercial cleaners, highly refined grades are preferred to reduce odor and volatile organic compound impact. Their stability and compatibility with other solvent blends support consistent product performance across diverse cleaning applications.
Print Industry : The print industry relies on white spirits primarily as a solvent and cleaning agent in offset and flexographic printing operations. Low odor and high flash point white spirits are commonly used to dilute oil based inks and to clean rollers, plates, and printing presses. Their moderate evaporation rate allows proper ink transfer and controlled drying on paper and packaging substrates. In newspaper and commercial printing, white spirits help maintain ink viscosity and prevent clogging in mechanical components. Additionally, refined grades support efficient removal of ink residues during maintenance, contributing to operational efficiency and consistent print quality in high volume printing environments.

Impact of Industry Transitions on the White Spirits Market

As a core segment of the Bulk & Commodity Chemicals industry, the White Spirits market develops in line with broader industry shifts. Over recent years, transitions such as SustainabilityDriven Changes and Technological Integration have redefined priorities across the Bulk & Commodity Chemicals sector, influencing how the White Spirits market evolves in terms of demand, applications and competitive dynamics. These transitions highlight the structural changes shaping long-term growth opportunities.
01

SustainabilityDriven Changes

Sustainability-driven changes are rapidly reshaping the White Spirits market from commodity solvents toward higher-value, eco biodegradable white spirits, with the most pronounced impact across the China and United States value chains. As regulators and downstream users in industrial coatings, metalworking fluids, and cleaning chemicals tighten emissions and toxicity standards, demand is pivoting to eco-friendly solvents and low-VOC white spirits that align with chemical industry sustainability targets. This shift is expected to unlock around $250 million in additional industry revenue by 2030, as producers capture green premiums, secure long-term supply contracts, and differentiate through green chemistry innovation. Players that proactively retool assets, reformulate portfolios, and build compliant, low-carbon product lines will consolidate share, while laggards risk margin compression and displacement from strategic customer accounts.
02

Technological Integration

The integration of advanced technologies is reshaping the white spirits industry by improving production efficiency, safety, and supply reliability. AI driven predictive maintenance systems help refiners monitor distillation units and hydroprocessing equipment in real time, reducing unplanned shutdowns and optimizing energy consumption. IoT enabled sensors track temperature, pressure, and impurity levels, ensuring consistent solvent purity and compliance with VOC regulations. These improvements enhance product uniformity for downstream sectors such as paints and coatings, where stable evaporation rates and controlled aromatic content are critical. In industrial cleaning and printing applications, higher quality consistency reduces formulation variability and operational downtime. As a result, associated industries benefit from improved performance reliability, lower defect rates, and stronger regulatory alignment.