RFID Market Set to Reach $23B by 2036

The global RFID market is expected to grow from $15.6 billion this year to $23 billion by 2036. Those figures comprise RFID labels, cards, fobs, as well as tags, readers and software/services, market intelligence firm IDTechEx reports.

Before going any further, a quick definition: RFID stands for radio frequency identification and uses radio waves to automatically track tags attached to objects. The technology has long been used in the retail sector, which is also the largest user of RFID in terms of tag numbers.

According to IDTechEx research, retail apparel alone will utilize more than 31 billion RFID tags in 2025. But there is also ample opportunity for growth in the sector, as RFID accounts for only about 40% of the total addressable market for apparel.

Beyond that, IDTechEx also anticipates that the general retail market for RFID will continue to grow, driven by mandates such as Walmart’s to tag retail items other than apparel.

Indeed, in a separate report on retail’s use of RFID, software specialist Cybra also looked at the technology’s ever-broadening use, especially via being integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision systems.

“Once confined to stockrooms and logistics, RFID technology now extends across the entire retail ecosystem—from the supply chain to the sales floor and even the customer experience,” Cybra notes. “Retailers are leveraging RFID for real-time inventory visibility across all store locations, which in turn enables faster restocking, precise order fulfillment (including BOPIS), and smarter shelf management…

“What sets RFID apart in 2025 is how it works in tandem with artificial intelligence and computer vision. Retailers are building predictive systems that not only detect low stock levels but also trigger automatic replenishment from nearby stores or warehouses. Some systems even guide floor associates directly to misplaced items, saving time and minimizing friction.”

Click here for more from the IDTechEx report and here for more from Cybra.