LiDAR Statistics By Market Size and Facts

Updated · Jan 22, 2025


Table of Contents
Introduction
LiDAR Statistics: LiDAR technology is one such technology that rapidly changed within autonomous vehicles, agriculture, urban planning, and environmental conservation. LiDAR, which uses lasers to measure distances and create high-resolution mapping, is an indispensable tool in many commercial and scientific applications.
Looking forward to 2025, the LiDAR market has altogether been forecasted to have unparalleled growth in and around 2025 due to new innovations, lower costs, and extended applications.
Editor’s Choice
- The global LiDAR market was valued at US$ 960 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 5.35 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 16.5%.
- With the increased adoption in the automotive industry, among others, the LiDAR mapping software market reached the US$ 217.6 million mark of the 2022 predictions, envisaged to rise to US$ 1.27 billion by 2031.
- The global LiDAR market technically advanced to US$ 1.6 billion by the end of 2022, with airborne and terrestrial LiDAR each valued at US$ 1 billion apiece, and this compounds the heap of total market revenue to reach US$ 4.5 billion by 2027 due to advancements and a further surge in the number of applications.
- Mechanical automotive LiDAR had 98.3% of the market in 2021. Moreover, the market is touted to have major illusions created by 2026, as it could mount up to US$ 21.2 billion, reworked toward solid-state LiDAR this time.
- Indeed, hurdles created with line data needed substantial access to 22%, huge file sizes 18%, and especially many processing requirements.
- LiDAR statistics show that the LiDAR products were changed by the year 2027 artificially from US$ 38 million in 2021 through an increase of futuristically million to US$ 2 billion.
- Nemertean humans and insects when encountering a specific object occupy potential new spaces with characteristic changes.
- Smart infrastructure applications, such as intersection monitoring and security, are projected to drive the market from US$ 108 million in 2021 to US$ 1.1 billion by 2027.
- Logistics automation is expected to contribute significantly, with the LiDAR market growing from US$ 92 million in 2021 to at least US$ 344 million by 2027.
- An aggressive hint that the market is taking a new direction may manifest through the mere cost of that system at around US$ 23,000, representing a significantly high entry barrier.
- LiDAR statistics state that the operation of LiDARs will need licensed drone pilots who will cost from US$ 200 up to US$ 550 for training and licensing for the atmosphere therein.
- Processing LiDAR data needs skilled workers and software that can cost more than US$ 20,000. So, planning is really important to get the most out of LiDAR technology.
LiDAR Market Size
(Reference: statista.com)
- The global LiDAR market was worth about US$ 960 million in 2019. Back then, LiDAR tech was still growing and getting noticed in different areas.
- LiDAR statistics reveal that By 2030, this market is expected to hit US$ 5.35 billion. That’s a big jump, showing that more and more industries, like cars, farming, and city planning, are adopting LiDAR.
- In the next 11 years, it will grow by about US$ 4.39 billion.
- That’s an average growth rate of 16.5%. This growth is supported by new tech, lower costs, and new ways to use LiDAR.
By Segment
(Reference: statista.com)
- LiDAR statistics indicate that the market LiDAR-mapped software was valued at US$ 217.6 million.
- The largest in the automotive LiDAR market sector, this serves as evidence for a high request for mapping solutions to be applied for the automation of automotive and for Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) programs.
- By 2031, the growth of the market sector in the LiDAR-mapping software is proposed to top around US$ 1.27 billion.
- This percentage indicates a massive increase during the nine-year span: This shows an annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of around 21.7%.
- All of this indicates that the software has been widely adopted due to its rapidly expanding business within the automotive industry in the field of having more smart controls and fewer non-autonomous processes.
- This growth comes due to the progress in LiDAR technologies lower and with great resolution, as well as the increase in demand for real-time, precise mapping solutions necessary in autonomous vehicle sectors.
- The requirements indicative of LiDAR-based mapping also need mapping software for high-definition mapping, object detection, and navigation.
- This growth proves that among the divisions in the use of LiDAR in the automobile sector, the greatest amount of software is needed to process and interpret the data collected by the LiDAR sensors.
- Accurate mapping and analytics contribute much to ensuring the safety and efficiency of the use of autonomous driving functions.
By Product Type
- In 2022, the overall aggregate revenue for the LiDAR market reached US$ 1.6 billion, with airborne LiDAR at US$ 1 billion and terrestrial LiDAR at US$ 1 billion.
- Mobile and UAV LiDAR did not show any revenue during the year.
- The market was able to have a noticeable growth up to 2023, though, as the revenue over a year went up to US$ 2 billion similarly distributed across the product types.
- This is expected to continue upwards till the year 2024 or 2025 when revenues of US$ 3 billion are expected for the year 2025 and possibly US$ 2.3 billion for the 2024 estimates.
- The developments are largely due to the increasing adoption of LiDAR technology in mapping, surveying, and autonomous vehicle applications.
- According to LiDAR statistics, the substantial growth prospect of total revenue forecasted through airborne LiDAR is anticipated to touch not less than US$ 2 billion in airborne LiDAR revenues by 2026.
- During this time, terrestrial and mobile & UAV LiDAR are expected to remain flat at US$ 1 billion each. Total revenues in 2027 are expected to gross up to US$ 4.5 billion in revenues for the year after substantial growth in future years.
- LiDAR market total revenue is expected to be US$ 11.6 billion by 2032. During these 2018 and 2019 periods, an incredible increase in the revenue of airborne LiDAR to US$ 5 billion is expected, while the terrestrial side rates a revenue of US$ 4 billion.
- Mobile and UAV revenue is expected to reach US$ 3 billion by 2032; these are substantial growth distances.
- The trend highlights that LiDAR markets across airborne LiDAR, terrestrial LiDAR, and mobile and UAV LiDAR products will experience robust and sustained growth supported by diversification in applications and technological advancements.
Classification Of LiDAR Quantity
(Source: icvtank.com)
- Mechanical LiDAR systems are known for being bulky and expensive. In 2021, the mechanical automotive LiDAR market was evaluated at around US$ 1.2 billion (98.3% share of the total market).
- Analysts at ICV suggest that developments in manufacturing processes by upstream suppliers, collaborative efforts between large Internet companies and OEMs to overcome technological challenges, and favourable policies are shaping an on-demand generation, defining an extraordinary opportunity for the automotive LiDAR market.
- During the next three years, this market is projected to grow into a US$ 10 billion blue ocean, with an additional US$ 62.39 billion possible growth over the following five years.
- The automotive LiDAR market will reach US$ 21.20 billion by 2026. Mechanical and Solid-State LiDAR will take up 93.4% and 6.6% of the industry, denoting that mechanical LiDAR will remain dominant in the short term.
- However, the rapid pace of improvements in solid-state LiDAR development may bring down variability in this forecast.
- By 2021, a few globally leading companies were in the automotive LiDAR market. Valeo no. held the largest share totaling 28% followed by 10% of the market held by RoboSense – a Chinese company.
- LiDAR statistics state that the global LiDAR market is very crowded and has dozens of players fighting to expand it. At present, European and American companies have kept 70% of the market and are still strong in mechanical LiDAR.
- However, Chinese companies like RoboSense and Huawei are rapidly making space for themselves.
- Owing to the performance and cost advantages they provide, as well as improvements in solid-state LiDAR, which will be developed through their innovative capabilities, they are going to undoubtedly increase their market share at the global level and perhaps massively reshape the competitive lay of the land.
Top Challenges Working With LiDAR Data
(Reference: i0.wp.com)
- LiDAR statistics state that working with LiDAR data faces many challenges as respondents who had problems cited by them.
- Acquiring LiDAR data was mentioned as the top problem by 22% of the respondents.
- This makes it the second most common challenge, and indeed, 18% of the respondents complained about massive file sizes, which made data processing hard for existing applications.
- A 16%b piece is aloof when it comes to LiDAR data as reasons for needing specialisms in this field.
- The function was also seen as a key problem by 6%, with one or two other problems seen by those 3% in terms of costs: data got one; hardware and software got another.
- Among other problems were delivery (3%) and search and retrieval (2%).
- In spite of such weighty problems, most surprisingly, 27% of the respondents said they really do not work with LiDAR data and do not have a universal adoption tendency.
LiDAR Applications Statistics
- The LiDAR market for automotive and industrial applications is expected to witness significant growth.
- It is expected to go from US$ 2.1 billion in 2021 to a remarkable US$ 6.3 billion by 2027. When calculated, there will be a corresponding robust compound annual growth rate in increasing revenue at the CAGR of 22% between 2022 and 2027.
- LiDAR statistics indicate that it is projected that the automotive sector will be the primary driver of growth, where the automotive LiDAR market will increase from US$ 38 million in 2021 to more than US$ 2 billion in 2027.
- There have been 55 design wins in the automotive sector since 2018.
- Leading the way will be the segment of robot car applications, projecting growth from US$ 120 million in 2021 to US$ 698 million in 2027.
- Nevertheless, automotive, LiDAR research is drifting towards infra-projects that will signify smartness.
- Projects such as those related to intersection monitoring and security will take the market from US$ 108 million in 2021 to US$ 1.1 billion by 2027.
- LiDAR statistics show that LiDAR technology is becoming more tightly integrated into logistics automation and market growth. The logistics LiDAR category is projected to surge to US$ 344 million by the end of 2027 from US$ 92 million in 2021.
- All such instances have laid significance on the varied use of such a technology that is increasingly putting its hands behind the occurring transitions through various present-day sectors like transportation and logistics to those of smart infrastructures and beyond.
Challenges Of LiDAR Technology
- LiDAR statistics reveal that an extremely high-initial-cost entry-level robust LiDAR system will cost approximately 23,000. Add a drone, or think of spending an extra 10,000 or 16,000 to operate with the system just for starters.
- Other necessary costs include batteries, a base station, and a GPS rover, which will account for all costs required. Insurance coverage will also be considered while acquiring very expensive equipment.
- A budget of at least US$ 2,000 per year for insurance on the equipment would have to be set aside for a 23,000-euro LiDAR system.
- Human resources should be a significant consideration when it comes to the application of LiDAR technologies.
- It requires a person with a drone pilot license who flew the drone with the LiDAR mounted. In Canada, advanced drone license fees are around US$ 550, covering study materials and the exam.
- Commercial drone pilot tests cost US$ 200 with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and take 15-30 hours of reparation time usually in 1 week.
- Although it’s usually possible to get only one person to go out for data collection, it is important to pay attention to who will process LiDAR data.
- A team member could take care of this minimal skill with AutoCAD training the evening before.
- However, keep in mind that the price of LiDAR processing software is above US$ 20,000, so you would need an additional investment for that.
- Like many other problems within the integrating LiDAR technology, these complexities show that careful planning is crucial for the best optimization of the benefits which may be incurred.
Conclusion
The LiDAR market is really taking off as we head into 2025. It’s becoming important for many industries and helping them work better. According to LiDAR statistics, LiDAR gives accurate, real-time data. This tech is changing how we do things and bringing us closer together. The growth numbers look good, showing that it has a bright future ahead.
FAQ.
The global LiDAR market was valued at US$960 million in 2019 and is projected to exceed US$5.35 billion by 2030, with an expected growth rate of 16.5%. Growth is driven by technological advancements, reduced costs, new applications-for example in the automotive, agriculture, and urban planning sectors-and improving methods for data processing.
Major challenges faced in working with LiDAR data included the acquisition of LiDAR data (cited by 22% of respondents as a problem), enormous data sizes that make processing difficult (18%), the need for special software and skilled labour (16%), the cost of some hardware and software, and finally difficulty in retrieval and delivery. Despite these challenges, the technology continued to progress through automation, mapping, and smart infrastructure applications.
The automotive market for LiDAR systems is estimated to grow from US$38 million in 2021 to about US$2 billion in 2027, with key applications including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Autonomous vehicles and vehicle navigation. Smart infrastructural projects: expect to see growth from US$108 million in 2021 to US$1.1 billion by 2027.
The cost for a basic, entry-level robust LiDAR system is roughly US$23,000. Other expenses take the forms of Drones ( pricing varies from US$10,000 to US$16,00) , Batteries, GPS rovers, and base stations, Insurance (including US$2,000 annually), Licensed drone pilots, which involve a price range of US$200 to US$550 for training and licensing, and LiDAR data processing software (cost over US$20,000). Proper planning and budgeting, in the larger perspective, are crucial aspects that ensure an increase in the benefit power of the technology.
In 2022, the LiDAR market made US$1.6 billion. Airborne and terrestrial LiDAR each brought in about US$1 billion. By 2027, the total could jump to US$4.5 billion, with airborne LiDAR leading the way. Looking ahead to 2032, the market might hit US$11.6 billion. This would include around US$5 billion from airborne LiDAR, US$4 billion from terrestrial LiDAR, and US$3 billion from mobile and UAV LiDAR.
The revenue generated by the LiDAR market was US$1.6 billion in 2022. The revenue split for airborne and terrestrial LiDAR is evenly matched at US$1 billion each. In 2027, it will increase to US$4.5 billion with airborne LiDAR dominating. By 2032, it may grow up to US$11.6 billion, where US$5 billion would come from airborne LiDAR, US$4 billion from terrestrial LiDAR, and US$3 billion from mobile and UAV LiDAR.

Joseph D'Souza founded Smartphone Thoughts in 2003 as a personal project to share his insights and experiences with tech gadgets. Over time, it has grown into a well-regarded tech blog, known for its in-depth smartphone reviews and app-related statistics. Joseph is dedicated to providing detailed, well-researched content, including statistics, facts, charts, and graphs, all verified by experts. His goal is to make technological innovations and scientific discoveries easy to understand for everyone. Smartphone Thoughts is now a top source for tech news, appreciated by both tech enthusiasts and beginners.