Foundation in 2014, 1 out of 4 people living in Canada recorded to have symptoms of constipation
in 2014. Chronic constipation rates for women were almost twice as high as for men in Canada.
Increasing incidence of constipation were also recorded in other developed economies such as the
U.S. and UK. According to a report published by Coloplast—a global leading player in ostomy
care, urology and continence care, and wound and skin care, 1 in 7 adults were affected by
constipation during 2014 - 2015 in the UK. The condition was even worse for children, wherein 1 in
3 were affected by constipation during 2014-2015.
The scenario is similar in emerging economies such as India, Brazil, and China. According to
Abbott Gut-Health Survey, around 14% of the urban population in India suffered from chronic
constipation in 2015. As these people are living in urban area where access to healthcare services is
rapidly improving, the number of diagnosed patient will increase which in turn will result in
laxatives market expansion.
Increasing incidence of eating disorders and increasing availability of over-the-counter
laxatives are expected to drive market growth
Developed economies such as the U.S, UK, Australia, and Germany have witnessed continuous rise
in incidence of eating disorders. A report commissioned by Beat in 2015, estimated that over
725,000 people were affected by the disease in UK. According to South Carolina Department of
Mental Health (DMH) around 8 million people, including seven million women and one million
men in the U.S. were recorded suffering from an eating disorder, in 2015. .
Patients suffering from eating disorders are more likely to overuse laxatives. Also, laxatives as over-
the-counter (OTC) drugs, have influenced in the excessive overuse. This overuse of laxatives has
significantly contributed to growth of the laxatives market.
For More Information @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/laxatives-
market-1052
Negligence and/or unwillingness among patients to talk to doctor about constipation has
limited the growth of laxatives market
Majority of the people suffering from constipation are embarrassed to consult their general
practitioner (GP) regarding constipation, even in developed economies such as the UK. According
to the study released by Coloplast in 2015, around 1 in 5 (i.e. 20%) people in UK, reportedly felt
embarrassed to talk to their GP about constipation. This has resulted in underreporting of the people
suffering from this condition.
Majority of the population, especially in rural areas of emerging economies such as India, do not
feel the need to consult a doctor for constipation. This negligence is due to lack of literacy, low
accessibility to healthcare facilities, low per capita income, and higher self-medication practices in
such regions. This has proven to be detrimental to growth of the laxatives market, as people who
really require laxatives for treatment are not actually taking it.
Key companies operating in the global laxatives market include AstraZeneca plc, Boehringer
Ingelheim GmbH, Bayer AG, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Abbott Laboratories, Takeda Pharmaceutical
Company Ltd, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mylan N.V., and Purdue Pharma L.P.
Global Laxatives Market Taxonomy:
By Drug Type:
•Bulk-forming Agents
•Emollients (Stool Softeners)