According to our (Global Info Research) latest study, the global Infrared (IR) Sensor market size was valued at US$ 1904 million in 2025 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ 3161 million by 2032 with a CAGR of 8.0% during review period.
In 2025, global Infrared (IR) Sensor sales reached approximately 221.33 M Units, with an average global market price of around US$ 8.36 per Units.
An Infrared (IR) sensor is a device that detects infrared radiation and converts it into an electrical signal, enabling temperature measurement, thermal mapping, presence/motion detection, and gas sensing based on characteristic IR absorption. In general, IR sensors fall into two major categories: photon (photonic) detectors that rely on semiconductor photoelectric effects (e.g., InGaAs, InSb, MCT) for high-speed, high-sensitivity detection from near-IR to mid-IR, and thermal detectors (e.g., thermopiles, pyroelectric sensors, microbolometers) that measure radiation-induced heating, widely used for thermometry, human detection, and thermal imaging. IR sensors are deployed across industrial monitoring and process control, security and automotive perception, consumer electronics, medical measurement, and NDIR gas sensing applications.
Production Model
IR sensors are mass-produced through a "platform die + standardized packaging + application-grade calibration" model. Upstream inputs include silicon/compound wafers, thermo-/piezo-electric materials, ceramic substrates, and packaging consumables. In cleanrooms, manufacturers run MEMS and thin-film steps (deposition, lithography/etch, absorber and electrode formation), followed by hermetic or vacuum packaging (TO can, QFN/LGA, ceramic packages). Optical components such as IR windows and band-pass filters are assembled, then devices undergo programming and drift-compensation calibration (blackbody calibration, lot-based coefficient fitting) before binning and shipment. Leading suppliers typically operate as IDM or "fab-lite + OSAT" hybrids: they keep the sensing structure and algorithms in-house while outsourcing part of packaging and testing to scale capacity and flexibility. Some also ship sensor modules to raise ASP and stickiness.
Gross Margin
Margins vary widely by product tier and qualification: consumer PIR/thermopile devices often run around 25%–45%; industrial/automotive-grade sensors with tighter specs and calibration commonly reach 35%–55%; high-end detector arrays or module-based offerings can move toward 45%–65%, constrained by yield, packaging complexity, and long certification cycles.
Value Chain
Upstream: Si/compound wafers, MEMS materials (SiN/SiO₂ films, absorbers), thermo-/piezo-electric materials, ceramic/metal packages, IR windows and optical filters, blackbody and test equipment.
Midstream: sensor design and fabrication (MEMS/CMOS, ROIC/AFE), packaging and test (hermetic/vacuum, burn-in), calibration and binning, automotive/safety certifications.
Downstream: consumer electronics and appliances (temperature and presence sensing), security/building automation, automotive (in-cabin monitoring, HVAC, night-vision-related supply chain), industrial process and medical thermometry, smart devices and IoT.
Market Development Opportunities & Main Driving Factors
Infrared sensors are expanding from basic temperature reading and motion detection into system-level penetration across two structural demand engines: buildings and vehicles. On the building side, government-led frameworks for energy efficiency and decarbonization are strengthening, pushing operations from "passive efficiency" to "data-driven control," where occupancy/presence sensing and contactless thermal measurement (PIR, thermopile, etc.) become foundational inputs for HVAC, lighting, and energy management at scale. On the automotive side, regulatory regimes in Europe and other markets are rolling out safety functions—such as driver drowsiness and attention warning—under defined timetables, while in-cabin intelligence is cascading from premium trims to mainstream platforms. This makes IR's robustness under harsh contrast and low-light conditions a key content driver. In parallel, annual reporting by automotive sensor suppliers continues to highlight productization progress in IR-based thermal and sensing technologies, reinforcing IR sensing as a long-cycle platform roadmap with durable medium- to long-term visibility.
Market Challenges, Risks, & Restraints
The commercialization barrier is increasingly about manufacturability, consistency, and audit-ready compliance rather than point performance. Thermal devices are highly sensitive to hermetic packaging, IR window/filter uniformity, calibration discipline, and drift compensation; yield swings can rapidly translate into cost pressure. Automotive and industrial customers also require stringent reliability, traceability, and supply continuity, extending qualification cycles and raising inventory/capacity mismatch risks—making delivery cadence and cash-flow timing more exposed to macro volatility. Some annual reports explicitly flag the operational impact of temporary supply–demand imbalances and demand fluctuations in the automotive chain, implying that IR sensors—despite benefiting from rising content per system—must still be managed through cyclical and supply-chain constraints. In addition, in-cabin applications face data governance and privacy expectations; unclear data boundaries, authorization, and traceability can create regulatory and reputational risks that slow deployment.
Downstream Demand Trends
Three downstream shifts are becoming clear. First, classic PIR motion detection is upgrading toward higher-resolution presence and micro-motion sensing, reducing false triggers while enabling granular efficiency, space analytics, and building digital operations—pushing suppliers from components to integrated "sensor + algorithm + system interface" solutions. Second, automotive cabin intelligence is pulling IR from temperature and basic sensing into AI-coupled driver/occupant state detection. With regulatory rollout and evolving safety-rating schemes, penetration is likely to keep rising and become a meaningful driver of sensor content per vehicle. Third, industrial safety and energy use cases increasingly value stable, low-maintenance, mass-calibratable IR measurement. Thermopile and related IR devices are repeatedly emphasized in brokerage research and corporate disclosures for gas detection, flame monitoring, and process safety—signaling an upgrade from low-cost consumer components to mission-critical enablers of safety and efficiency.
This report is a detailed and comprehensive analysis for global Infrared (IR) Sensor market. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are presented by manufacturers, by region & country, by Type and by Application. As the market is constantly changing, this report explores the competition, supply and demand trends, as well as key factors that contribute to its changing demands across many markets. Company profiles and product examples of selected competitors, along with market share estimates of some of the selected leaders for the year 2025, are provided.
Key Features:
Global Infrared (IR) Sensor market size and forecasts, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (Million Units), and average selling prices (US$/Unit), 2021-2032
Global Infrared (IR) Sensor market size and forecasts by region and country, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (Million Units), and average selling prices (US$/Unit), 2021-2032
Global Infrared (IR) Sensor market size and forecasts, by Type and by Application, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (Million Units), and average selling prices (US$/Unit), 2021-2032
Global Infrared (IR) Sensor market shares of main players, shipments in revenue ($ Million), sales quantity (Million Units), and ASP (US$/Unit), 2021-2026
The Primary Objectives in This Report Are:
To determine the size of the total market opportunity of global and key countries
To assess the growth potential for Infrared (IR) Sensor
To forecast future growth in each product and end-use market
To assess competitive factors affecting the marketplace
This report profiles key players in the global Infrared (IR) Sensor market based on the following parameters - company overview, sales quantity, revenue, price, gross margin, product portfolio, geographical presence, and key developments. Key companies covered as a part of this study include Hamamatsu Photonics, Excelitas Technologies, Murata Manufacturing, Raytheon, InfraTec, Teledyne, Honeywell, Texas Instruments, Nippon Ceramic, ams OSRAM, etc.
This report also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approvals.
Market Segmentation
Infrared (IR) Sensor market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2021-2032, the growth among segments provides accurate calculations and forecasts for consumption value by Type, and by Application in terms of volume and value. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets.
Market segment by Type
Thermal Infrared (TIR) Sensor
Quantum Infrared (QIR) Sensor
Market segment by Operating Mode
Passive IR
Active IR
Market segment by Detection Band
Near-Infrared
Mid-Wavelength Infrared
Long-Wavelength Infrared
Market segment Spatial Resolution
Single Point
Array/Imaging
Market segment by Application
Military, Defense & Aerospace
Healthcare & Medical
Automotive & Intelligent Transportation
Manufacturing & Energy
Commercial Security & Smart Building
Consumer Electronics & Telecommunications
Agriculture & Environment
Others
Major players covered
Hamamatsu Photonics
Excelitas Technologies
Murata Manufacturing
Raytheon
InfraTec
Teledyne
Honeywell
Texas Instruments
Nippon Ceramic
ams OSRAM
Panasonic
Omron
Lynred
Leonardo DRS
BAE Systems
Heimann
Melexis
Amphenol Advanced Sensors
TE Connectivity
Wuhan Guide
Raytron Microelectronics
Dali Technology
Senba
Sunshine Technologies
Orisystech
Market segment by region, regional analysis covers
North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)
Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe)
Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia)
South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Rest of South America)
Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)
The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:
Chapter 1, to describe Infrared (IR) Sensor product scope, market overview, market estimation caveats and base year.
Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Infrared (IR) Sensor, with price, sales quantity, revenue, and global market share of Infrared (IR) Sensor from 2021 to 2026.
Chapter 3, the Infrared (IR) Sensor competitive situation, sales quantity, revenue, and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.
Chapter 4, the Infrared (IR) Sensor breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales quantity, consumption value, and growth by regions, from 2021 to 2032.
Chapter 5 and 6, to segment the sales by Type and by Application, with sales market share and growth rate by Type, by Application, from 2021 to 2032.
Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales quantity, consumption value, and market share for key countries in the world, from 2021 to 2026.and Infrared (IR) Sensor market forecast, by regions, by Type, and by Application, with sales and revenue, from 2027 to 2032.
Chapter 12, market dynamics, drivers, restraints, trends, and Porters Five Forces analysis.
Chapter 13, the key raw materials and key suppliers, and industry chain of Infrared (IR) Sensor.
Chapter 14 and 15, to describe Infrared (IR) Sensor sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion.
Summary:
Get latest Market Research Reports on Infrared (IR) Sensor. Industry analysis & Market Report on Infrared (IR) Sensor is a syndicated market report, published as Global Infrared (IR) Sensor Market 2026 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2032. It is complete Research Study and Industry Analysis of Infrared (IR) Sensor market, to understand, Market Demand, Growth, trends analysis and Factor Influencing market.