It’s easy to think that the rise of the Paperless Office will mean the business of document scanning is going to enter a terminal decline. That may happen, but not yet.
Research by Coherent Market Insights predicts the scanning market will grow by 4.9% per year for the next 5 years, reaching a massive USD 5.00 Billion by 2032.
One of the key drivers is AI: all the knowledge held in written documents can only be accessed by AI systems after they are scanned and digitised. Another driver is the need to make all documents available all the time to all staff, where ever they are. If either of these apply to you then our document scanning page can help.
What’s Driving the Growth?
What’s Driving the Growth?
More and more businesses, public bodies and law firms are moving away from paper and going digital. It’s not just about saving time – digital documents are easier to access, better for collaboration, and help cut down on paper use.
Onsite Scanning Leads the Way
Onsite scanning is the most popular service, making up over 60% of the market in 2025. It’s easy to see why – the scanning company comes to you with the equipment, so you don’t have to move piles of documents offsite.
Legal Records in High Demand
Legal documents are expected to be the most scanned type, taking up about 35% of the market. The legal world is under pressure to keep accurate, digital records to meet strict regulations.
Government Driving Big Demand
Government departments are set to be the biggest users of scanning services, bringing in an estimated US $1.61 billion in 2025. Many still rely on paper archives and are now racing to bring their records into the digital age.
Where the Growth Is Happening
North America is still ahead, holding nearly 38% of the market. But Asia-Pacific is catching up fast, with the highest growth rate – over 6% a year.
Tech Trends Changing the Game
New tech like AI-powered OCR (optical character recognition) and machine learning is making scanning faster and smarter. These tools help organise documents and connect them to other systems more easily – a big plus for remote working.