Market Insights
The non-lethal weapons market was estimated at USD 7.5 billion in 2021 and is likely to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% during 2022-2028 to reach USD 12.3 billion in 2028.

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Market Dynamics
Introduction
Non-lethal weapons are acknowledged and understood to have a less terminal degree in weaponry as a component of the worldwide market. These weapons, unlike deadly weapons, can result in casualties. Non-lethal weapons are also acknowledged for significantly reducing the number of deaths. These market weapons are meant to cause momentary hurt or injury to anyone.
During the forecast period, which will conclude in 2028, non-lethal weapons are mostly used for crowd dispersal, suppressing civil conflicts, and other purposes such as controlling unlawful protests against governments and their directives to maintain law and order in the worldwide market premises.
Market Drivers
The growth in unrest worldwide due to various contentious laws and legislations enacted by governments worldwide has increased the need for weapons with a low risk of casualties. Human rights lawmakers and governments have approved regulations requiring the use of weapons that pose less danger of killing a suspect across numerous security and defense departments.
Non-lethal weapons such as batons, pepper spray, and stun guns are compact, economical, portable, and legal self-defense alternative in hazardous situations. Non-lethal weapons are very important in providing personal security for security workers. Furthermore, non-lethal weapons are the initial line of defense against an attack.
Several investments/guidelines in the industry have been directed in recent years, which would boost the overall market. Some of them are:
- Rising investments in market segments are assisting in boosting the quality of sector items and enhancing their capacity to suit the rising wants of the worldwide target audience, particularly throughout the forecast period that will conclude in 2028. The law enforcement category is expected to emerge and rise as the highest market share in 2019, as these organizations are typically ordered for processes such as restricting, subduing, or hindering the related danger rather than neutralizing it.
- Military spending in several affluent nations has grown dramatically, and this trend is anticipated to continue in the future years. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) 2020, the United States, China, India, Russia, and the United Kingdom are the top five nations in terms of military spending as a proportion of GDP.

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Recent Developments
There is stiff competition in the non-lethal weapons market. The growth of the companies is directly dependent on industry conditions and government support. These companies differentiate their non-lethal weapons based on their quality and penetration in the target and emerging markets. Also, some major mergers and acquisitions in the industry recently have significantly influenced the competitive dynamics. For example:
- In 2021, Rheinmetall demonstrated the Spectac product, an invention for a new non-lethal effector. This rectangular stun grenade has been built specifically for military and law enforcement elite operators. The product is waterproof up to a depth of 20 meters.
- In 2022, PepperBall introduced the all-new PepperBall Patrol Carbine. (PPC). The PPC provides cops with a non-lethal choice ideal for routine patrol and tactical scenarios due to its lightweight construction and reliable accuracy.
COVID-19 Impact
To stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, governments throughout the world implemented stringent lockdowns and made social distancing essential. As a result, private and commercial security businesses were among the most adversely impacted by the epidemic, with early investment declines. During the coronavirus pandemic, however, multiple uprisings and clashes with the government were seen worldwide, and law enforcement organizations used non-lethal weaponry to manage the situations. The epidemic has hastened the introduction of non-lethal tactics, as non-lethal and less-lethal weaponry serves as a more compassionate alternative to guns in riot control operations.
The pandemic has been a difficult moment for the non-lethal weapons business, which is hoping to thrive throughout the predicted period. Furthermore, trends indicate that advanced nations' diminishing military budgets are further testing the market's capacity to create and promote as predicted for the period ending in 2028.
Furthermore, growing investments by government sectors associated with defense entities primarily support the non-lethal weapons market outlook. Non-lethal weapons will expand rapidly in the future because of rising demand from states worldwide to safeguard the military and preserve global peace.
On the other hand, non-lethal weapons are prohibited in several nations. For example, stun guns, pepper sprays, and TASERs are not authorized for use even for self-defense in New Zealand and Hawaii; however, they are lawful in Illinois with some limits as described in Illinois Stun Gun Laws. Carrying Tasers is legal in other states, including Massachusetts and Michigan, but you must have a weapons license. Furthermore, gun regulations vary by jurisdiction, and some states have classified non-lethal weapons as unlawful, thus limiting the adoption of non-lethal weapons in the United States.
Segments Analysis
Segmentations
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List of Sub-Segments
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Segments with High Growth Opportunity
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Type Analysis
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Direct Contact Weapons, Directed Energy Weapons
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Direct contact weapons emerged as the dominant segment, accounting for the largest market share in 2021.
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End-User Industry Type Analysis
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Law Enforcement and Military
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Law enforcement emerged as the dominant segment, accounting for the largest market share in 2021.
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Regional Analysis
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North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World
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North America is expected to lead the market, while the Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
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By Type
Based on type, the market is segmented by direct contact weapons and directed energy weapons. Direct contact weapons emerged as the dominant segment, accounting for the largest market share in 2021. The growth of direct contact weapons in the non-lethal weapons market is driven by rising demand for effective crowd control, increased focus on minimizing fatalities in law enforcement, and advancements in compact, user-friendly technologies like electroshock devices and stun batons.
By End-User Industry Type
Based on end-user industry, the market is segmented by military and law enforcement. Law enforcement emerged as the dominant segment, accounting for the largest market share in 2021. The growth of the law enforcement segment is driven by increasing demand for safer crowd control, rising incidents of civil unrest, emphasis on de-escalation tactics, and government investments in advanced, less-lethal technologies to minimize casualties and public backlash.
Regional Insights
“North America is expected to lead the market, while the Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.”
The market is broken down geographically into areas like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). In terms of regions, North America is likely to maintain its supremacy in the non-lethal weapons market throughout the forecast period. The non-lethal weapons industry trends reveal that the US Department of Defense (DOD) is increasingly focusing on the large-scale development of less-lethal weapons.
These weapons include the PHASR Rifle, which has recently gained popularity. It has been reported that this has resulted in a large increase in demand in this region, particularly during the projected period, which is expected to finish in 2028. Furthermore, the US market is growing as the region's single largest market for non-lethal weapons, emerging as one of the most significant causes of market growth. Law enforcement agencies are anticipated to rely heavily on non-lethal weaponry to suppress violent crimes in the country.
Concurrently, the market in the Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region is predicted to demonstrate the greatest growth rate in non-lethal weapons market operations over the historic forecast period in 2020. The worldwide market is predicted to follow similar patterns, and as a result, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience significant market expansion. Because of the steps implemented by various Asia-Pacific nations such as India, China, Australia, and South Korea, the Asian-Pacific market is predicted to develop at the fastest CAGR.

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Key Players
The following are the key players in the Non-Lethal Weapons Market (arranged alphabetically):
- Amtec Less-Lethal Systems Inc. (US)
- Armament Systems & Procedures Inc (US)
- Axon Enterprise Inc. (US)
- Combined Systems Inc. (US)
- Condor Non-Lethal Technologies (Brazil)
- FN Herstal S.A. (Belgium)
- Lamperd Less Lethal Inc. (Canada)
- Mission Less Lethal Technologies (US)
- Nonlethal Technologies Inc. (US)
- United Tactical Systems LLC (US)
Note: The above list does not necessarily include all the top players in the market.
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Research Methodology
This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today’s non-lethal weapons market realities and future market possibilities for the forecast period of 2022 to 2028. After a continuous interest in our non-lethal weapons market report from the industry stakeholders, we have tried to further accentuate our research scope to the non-lethal weapons market to provide the most crystal-clear picture of the market. The report segments and analyses the market in the most detailed manner to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of the low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as to formulate the growth strategies to expedite their growth process.
This report offers high-quality insights and is the outcome of a detailed research methodology comprising extensive secondary research, rigorous primary interviews with industry stakeholders, and validation and triangulation with Stratview Research’s internal database and statistical tools. More than 1000 authenticated secondary sources, such as company annual reports, fact books, press releases, journals, investor presentations, white papers, patents, and articles, have been leveraged to gather the data. We conducted more than 15 detailed primary interviews with the market players across the value chain in all four regions and industry experts to obtain both qualitative and quantitative insights.
Report Features
This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into market dynamics and will enable strategic decision-making for existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:
- Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.
- Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter’s five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.
- Market trend and forecast analysis.
- Market segment trend and forecast.
- Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, Service portfolio, New Product Launches, etc.
- COVID-19 impact and its recovery curve
- Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.
- Emerging trends.
- Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.
- Key success factors
Market Segmentation
This report studies the market, covering a period of 12 years of trends and forecasts. The report provides detailed insights into the market dynamics to enable informed business decision-making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.
The non-lethal weapons market is segmented into the following categories:
By Type
- Direct Contact Weapons
- Directed Energy Weapons
By Technology Type
- Electromagnetic
- Mechanical & Kinetic
- Chemical
- Others
By Mechanism Type
- Impact
- Irritant Chemicals
- Intense Sound/Light
By End-User Industry Type
By Region
- North America (Country Analysis: the USA, Canada, and Mexico)
- Europe (Country Analysis: Germany, France, the UK, Russia, Spain, and Rest of Europe)
- Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)
- Rest of the World (Sub-Region Analysis: Latin America, the Middle East, and Others)

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Report Customization Options
With this detailed report, Stratview Research offers one of the following free customization options to our respectable clients:
Company Profiling
- Detailed profiling of additional market players (up to three players)
- SWOT analysis of key players (up to three players)
Competitive Benchmarking
- Benchmarking of key players on the following parameters: Product portfolio, geographical reach, regional presence, and strategic alliances.
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