Emergency Lighting Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The emergency lighting market reached USD 7.31 billion in 2025 and is on track to hit USD 11.93 billion by 2030, reflecting a 10.29% CAGR. The expansion is propelled by stringent life-safety codes, retrofits tied to green-building targets, and smart-lighting technologies that provide automated testing and remote monitoring. LED conversion remains the largest upgrade driver, while wireless connectivity lowers installation costs for existing buildings. Infrastructure investments in tunnels, airports, and data centers further accelerate demand, especially in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Competitive dynamics favor brands that pair hardware with cloud-based diagnostics, allowing facility managers to oversee thousands of devices from a single dashboard.[1]International Code Council, “Fire Code, 2024 (IFC 2024),” UpCodes, up.codes
Key Report Takeaways
- By light source, LED held 57.9% of emergency lighting market share in 2024; wireless/IoT-enabled systems are expected to expand at a 13.5% CAGR to 2030.
- By power system, self-contained solutions accounted for 65.8% share of the emergency lighting market size in 2024, while centralized battery systems advance at an 11.4% CAGR through 2030.
- By installation type, surface-mounted units dominated with 46.7% revenue share in 2024; recessed fixtures are projected to grow at a 10.3% CAGR to 2030.
- By communication, wired products retained 82.3% share in 2024, but wireless alternatives will record the fastest growth at 13.5% through 2030.
- By end user, commercial offices led with 28.1% of emergency lighting market share in 2024; public infrastructure segments are forecast to post an 11.6% CAGR through 2030.
- By geography, Asia-Pacific captured 34.2% of the emergency lighting market in 2024; the Middle East and Africa region is poised for the highest 10.9% CAGR through 2030.
Global Emergency Lighting Market Trends and Insights
Drivers Impact Analysis
Driver | (~) (%) Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
---|---|---|---|
Smart LED retrofits across European public infrastructure | +1.8% | Europe → North America | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Stricter U.S. IBC/NFPA 101 mandates for high-rises | +2.1% | North America → APAC | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
Urban rail-tunnel build-outs in China and India | +1.5% | Asia-Pacific | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
Data-center boom adopting centralized battery systems | +1.9% | North America & EU → APAC | Medium term (2-4 years) |
ESG-linked LED exit-sign upgrades | +1.2% | Global developed markets | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
Offshore platform investments in the Middle East | +0.7% | Middle East, North Sea | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Source: Mordor Intelligence
Smart LED retrofits across European public infrastructure
European municipalities are replacing fluorescent fixtures with networked LED luminaires that cut energy consumption by up to 50% while simplifying compliance reporting. The EU Green Deal pushes public buildings to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, and connected fixtures automatically send test logs to facility dashboards, trimming maintenance labor. Acuity Brands’ STAR Gateway illustrates how automated audits meet EN 50172 requirements, making smart LEDs the default choice for rail stations, schools, and government offices.[2]Acuity Brands, “Emergency Lighting Testing with STAR,” acuitybrands.com
Stricter U.S. IBC/NFPA 101 mandates for high-rises
The 2024 code cycle raises minimum egress illuminance to 1.07 lux for 90 minutes and cuts activation time to 10 seconds. Many legacy nickel-cadmium units cannot pass updated UL 924 tests that now require a “normal-power present” signal, compelling owners to replace equipment ahead of recertification deadlines. Federal facilities add another layer of pressure by specifying LED systems with integrated controls to meet GSA energy targets.[3]U.S. General Services Administration, “LED Lighting and Controls Guidance for Federal Buildings,” gsa.gov
Urban rail-tunnel build-outs in China and India
Metro systems in Beijing, Mumbai, and new Tier-2 cities demand IP67-rated, vibration-resistant luminaires capable of operating during single-point failures. Funding from multilaterals such as the Asian Development Bank underpins dozens of projects, each requiring kilometers of emergency fixtures that interface with SCADA platforms.[4]Asian Development Bank, “ADB to Help Nepal Upgrade Electricity Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure,” adb.org Manufacturers with turnkey tunnel packages and regional testing expertise gain a clear edge.
Data-center boom adopting centralized battery systems
Hyperscale operators favor central inverters tied to the building-wide UPS so that one bank of batteries can serve thousands of heads. Eaton’s acquisition of Fibrebond gives it prefab enclosures that combine power conversion, controls, and fire suppression, shortening deployment schedules for cloud campuses. The trend also spurs interest in lithium-ion alternatives such as hydrogen fuel cells, which demand luminaires that ride through fuel-cell “warm-up” phases.[5]Eaton, “Eaton Emergency Lighting UPS,” eaton.com
Restraints Impact Analysis
Restraint | (~) (%) Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
---|---|---|---|
Lithium-ion fire-safety concerns in healthcare | -1.4% | Global developed markets | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
Supply-chain crunch for IC drivers & optics | -1.1% | Global, notably APAC | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Fragmented standards across ASEAN | -0.8% | ASEAN emerging | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
High install/test cost for wireless systems | -0.9% | Global price-sensitive | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Source: Mordor Intelligence
Lithium-ion fire-safety concerns in healthcare facilities
Hospitals are delaying lithium-ion rollouts after thermal-runaway incidents that led to ward evacuations. NFPA is drafting NFPA 800 to govern on-site storage, but until finalized, many health networks stay with sealed lead-acid or nickel-metal hydride packs despite shorter life. Proposed U.S. legislation to codify national battery safety standards adds further uncertainty.
Supply-chain crunch for IC drivers and optics
Component shortages that began in 2023 still linger, particularly for RF chipsets used in addressable luminaires. Vendors have re-engineered boards to accept multi-source parts, but re-qualification with UL and CE adds cost and delays. Limited availability keeps wireless SKUs on allocation, slowing the highest-growth slice of the emergency lighting market.
Segment Analysis
By Light Source: LED Dominance Faces Technology Transition
LED devices controlled 57.9% of emergency lighting market share in 2024, and the segment is set to advance at a 9.8% CAGR through 2030. Fluorescent tubes linger in older buildings, yet rising energy tariffs and lamp bans speed replacement schedules. Niche high-intensity discharge units remain in petrochemical zones where 10 kV surge immunity takes precedence over efficacy.
Smart diodes now embed sensors, memory, and selectable color temperatures, exemplified by the Green Creative Universal CCT Select tube, which helps specifiers tailor glare levels without swapping hardware. This convergence of intelligence with illumination keeps LED systems as the anchor of the emergency lighting market, even as wireless protocols reshape product line roadmaps.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Power System: Centralized Systems Gain Infrastructure Traction
Self-contained packs represented 65.8% of emergency lighting market size in 2024, thanks to straightforward installation and unitized maintenance. Large venues, however, prefer central banks to cut room-by-room battery checks. Data centers exemplify the shift, with centralized racks ensuring all fixtures receive conditioned power and firmware updates from a single hub.
Eaton’s inverter platforms, soon incorporating Exertherm thermal analytics, highlight how predictive monitoring reduces unscheduled downtime. Lithium-ion strings deliver long cycle life, yet hospitals and airports still specify VRLA in critical zones until regulatory clarity improves. The split between autonomy and central command will define procurement choices over the forecast horizon.
By Installation Type: Recessed Systems Drive Aesthetic Integration
Surface-mounted housings remained the go-to retrofit option, but architects increasingly select recessed troffers that sit flush with modern ceiling grids. Growth of 10.3% CAGR stems from high-end offices, hotels, and museums where design language prizes unobtrusive hardware.
Wireless mesh controls allow recessed heads to self-commission, avoiding new conduit pulls. As building owners chase LEED v5 credits tied to lighting power density, recessed LED kits that double as both normal and emergency circuits reduce fixture counts, strengthening their value proposition across the emergency lighting market.
By Product: Combo Units Lead Innovation Integration
Exit signs alone delivered 38.9% of 2024 revenues, yet combo units-packing both pictograms and twin floodlights-are edging ahead with an 11.5% growth rate. They slash wiring steps and shrink SKU counts for contractors. Addressable variants auto-test each circuit, logging results for inspectors and trimming walkthrough time.
Stand-alone luminaires still shine in warehouses where 1,000 lumen beams must clear tall racks. In contrast, emergency ballasts attract projects that cannot justify fixture swaps, letting owners insert a driver into an existing troffer to meet code. The shift toward “all-in-one” hardware underscores how feature density is becoming the new battleground in the emergency lighting market.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Communication: Wireless Systems Transform Facility Management
Hard-wired networks made up 82.3% of shipments during 2024, but wireless LoRaWAN, BLE, and proprietary RF are now the focal point for R&D. A 13.5% CAGR through 2030 is forecast as universities, housing authorities, and airports approve RF links that cut labor hours by 30%.
The landmark deployment of 10,000 LoRa-equipped units in Singapore public housing proves long-range, low-power tech can manage life-safety devices at city scale. ABB’s Naveo Pro mobile app lets technicians verify discharge tests from a smartphone, signaling how digital workflows will dominate procurement discussions within the emergency lighting market.
By End User: Public Infrastructure Drives Highest Growth
Commercial offices accounted for 28.1% of global revenues in 2024, driven by dense urban high-rises. Yet airports, tunnels, and rail platforms form the fastest-moving slice, supported by sovereign stimulus across Asia-Pacific. Here, photometric uniformity and vibration resistance weigh more heavily than aesthetics, opening space for ruggedized SKUs.
Healthcare adoption remains tempered by battery-fire fears, while warehouses seek high-candela beams for rack clarity. Residential smart-home packages start to feature micro-inverters feeding ceiling cans, hinting at future consumer interest once code bodies address single-family requirements.
Geography Analysis
Asia-Pacific, with a 34.2% stake in the emergency lighting market, benefits from megaprojects such as Mumbai Metro Line 3 and Beijing Sub-Center Tunnel. Regional governments use concessional loans from institutions like ADB to electrify outlying provinces, ensuring every new substation or rail spur specifies compliant luminaires. Semiconductor shortages make scheduling tricky, but local PCB houses in Shenzhen and Penang shorten lead times for domestic vendors.
The Middle East and Africa will register a 10.9% CAGR through 2030 as Qatar extends LNG export hubs and Saudi Vision 2030 accelerates tourism corridors. Offshore rigs in the Gulf demand copper-free aluminum bodies that survive salt-spray and 60 °C highs. Chalmit-branded Protecta X fixtures in North Sea fields validate 120,000-hour lifespans, encouraging NOCs to budget for premium solutions.
North America and Europe offer steady replacement cycles. U.S. code revisions now force high-rise landlords to upgrade within recertification windows, bolstering retrofit volumes. Europe’s Renovation Wave funnels grants toward public-sector LED swaps, with Germany underwriting smart controls that shave carbon footprints ahead of 2030 targets. Mature buyers favor vendors that bundle analytics dashboards with hardware, elevating software maintenance contracts as a vital slice of the emergency lighting market.

Competitive Landscape
Market rivalry centers on technology layers more than manufacturing scale. Acuity Brands links up to 20,000 heads through its STAR Gateway, providing cloud reporting that eases NFPA audits. Eaton folds Fibrebond’s prefabricated shelters into its offer, giving hyperscale data-center clients a single-vendor path from UPS to luminaire. Signify reorganized into vertical business units, allowing its connected-lighting arm to court transport authorities separately from consumer channels.
Private-equity exits underscore structural shifts: Hubbell sold Progress Lighting to Kingswood Capital and kept only hazardous-area brand Chalmit, reflecting a tilt toward specialized niches. Smaller European firms carve space in tunnel or maritime segments where EN 60598-2-22 tests require custom optics. The top five vendors collectively hold under 30% of global revenue, keeping the emergency lighting market moderately fragmented and innovation-driven.
Emergency Lighting Industry Leaders
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Emerson Electric Co.
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Schneider Electric
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Hubbell Lighting Inc.
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Legrand SA
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Eaton Corp. plc
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order

Recent Industry Developments
- March 2025: Eaton agreed to acquire Fibrebond Corporation for USD 1.4 billion, adding modular power enclosures aimed at cloud and colocation data centers.
- March 2025: Schneider Electric announced a USD 700 million U.S. expansion plan through 2027 to support automation and AI-driven energy loads.
- December 2024: Eaton previewed EV-charging and smart-home lighting at CES 2025.
- November 2024: ADB approved a USD 200 million loan to upgrade Sri Lanka’s grid, improving emergency-lighting readiness.
Global Emergency Lighting Market Report Scope
Emergency lightening ensures that the lighting is provided consistently and automatically for a sufficient amount of time during a power outage or certain emergency situations that enable the people trapped in such blackout situations to evacuate safely. This report segments the market by the light source, end-user application, and region.
By Light Source | LED | |||
Fluorescent Lamps | ||||
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) | ||||
Induction and Others | ||||
By Power System | Self-Contained/Battery-Backup | |||
Central Battery (UPS) | ||||
Hybrid/Distributed | ||||
By Installation Type | Surface-Mounted | |||
Recessed | ||||
Suspended | ||||
Portable | ||||
By Product | Emergency Exit Signs | |||
Stand-alone Emergency Luminaires | ||||
Combo Units | ||||
Emergency Ballasts and Drivers | ||||
By Communication | Wired | |||
Wireless/IoT-Enabled | ||||
By End-user | Commercial - Offices | |||
Commercial - Hospitality and Retail | ||||
Industrial -Manufacturing and Warehouses | ||||
Oil and Gas/Mining | ||||
Residential | ||||
Public Infrastructure (Airports, Tunnels, Rail) | ||||
Healthcare Facilities | ||||
By Geography | North America | United States | ||
Canada | ||||
Mexico | ||||
Europe | Germany | |||
United Kingdom | ||||
France | ||||
Nordics | ||||
Rest of Europe | ||||
South America | Brazil | |||
Rest of South America | ||||
Asia-Pacific | China | |||
Japan | ||||
India | ||||
South-East Asia | ||||
Rest of Asia-Pacific | ||||
Middle East and Africa | Middle East | Gulf Cooperation Council Countries | ||
Turkey | ||||
Rest of Middle East | ||||
Africa | South Africa | |||
Rest of Africa |
LED |
Fluorescent Lamps |
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) |
Induction and Others |
Self-Contained/Battery-Backup |
Central Battery (UPS) |
Hybrid/Distributed |
Surface-Mounted |
Recessed |
Suspended |
Portable |
Emergency Exit Signs |
Stand-alone Emergency Luminaires |
Combo Units |
Emergency Ballasts and Drivers |
Wired |
Wireless/IoT-Enabled |
Commercial - Offices |
Commercial - Hospitality and Retail |
Industrial -Manufacturing and Warehouses |
Oil and Gas/Mining |
Residential |
Public Infrastructure (Airports, Tunnels, Rail) |
Healthcare Facilities |
North America | United States | ||
Canada | |||
Mexico | |||
Europe | Germany | ||
United Kingdom | |||
France | |||
Nordics | |||
Rest of Europe | |||
South America | Brazil | ||
Rest of South America | |||
Asia-Pacific | China | ||
Japan | |||
India | |||
South-East Asia | |||
Rest of Asia-Pacific | |||
Middle East and Africa | Middle East | Gulf Cooperation Council Countries | |
Turkey | |||
Rest of Middle East | |||
Africa | South Africa | ||
Rest of Africa |
Key Questions Answered in the Report
What is the current size of the emergency lighting market?
The market is valued at USD 7.31 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 11.93 billion by 2030.
Which region dominates the emergency lighting market?
Asia-Pacific holds the largest 34.2% regional share, thanks to aggressive infrastructure development.
What technology segment is growing the fastest?
Wireless/IoT-enabled emergency lighting is forecast to grow at a 13.5% CAGR through 2030, the highest among all segments.
Why are healthcare facilities cautious about lithium-ion batteries?
Documented thermal-runaway incidents and pending NFPA 800 guidelines have raised fire-safety concerns, slowing adoption in hospitals
How do new U.S. building codes affect market demand?
The 2024 IBC and NFPA 101 updates require quicker activation and higher illuminance, prompting immediate retrofits of non-compliant systems.
What role do data centers play in future demand?
Rapid data-center construction favors centralized battery systems with remote diagnostics, adding a positive 1.9% impact to overall CAGR.
Page last updated on: June 29, 2025