4 Factors That Drive Silver Demand
Silver is known as the most versatile precious metal, and its end uses range from silverware to medicine, as well as industrial and technological applications, which account for well over half of annual global demand.
In 2024, global physical silver demand reached 1.16 billion ounces, shy of the record of 1.28 billion ounces set in 2022, as per the Silver Institute’s latest World Silver Survey released in April 2025.
Industrial demand is on an upward trend from the push toward renewable energy — in particular, silver demand should benefit from the expansion of the solar energy sector, electric vehicles and the growing use of AI and data centers. The metal is a great conductor of both heat and electricity, making it perfect for use in solar panels.
In 2025, the Silver Institute expects global demand for silver to decline by 1 percent to 1.15 billion ounces, but remain at historically high levels. With all of that in mind, here’s a look at four factors driving silver demand.
1. Industrial fabrication
Expected demand in 2025: 677.4 million ounces
Silver is the best electrical and thermal conductor of all the metals, so it’s no surprise that it’s used in industrial fabrication. Industrial silver demand has seen steady growth in recent years. Coming in at just 491 million ounces in 2016, industrial demand rose to 592.3 million ounces in 2022, 657.1 million ounces in 2023 and a record 680.5 million ounces in 2024.
For 2025, the Silver Institute believes industrial demand will see a slight regression of 0.5 percent to 677.4 million ounces.
Here’s a brief rundown of the main industrial uses driving silver demand:
Electronics — In electronics, industrial silver is used mainly in multi-layer ceramic capacitors, membrane switches, silvered film, electrically heated automobile windshields, conductive adhesives and the preparation of thick-film pastes.
Electronics is expected to remain an important driver for silver going forward, as per the Silver Institute, which expects overall industrial silver consumption to reach 456.6 million ounces in 2025. Photovoltaics form the largest portion of electronic demand, totaling 197.6 million tons in 2024.
Using silver as conductive ink, photovoltaic cells transform sunlight into electricity. These cells are combined to form solar panels. The use of silver in the fabrication of photovoltaic cells, also known as solar cells, is seen as an area of rapid growth in the short to medium term. In fact, SolarPower Europe reported that total installations reached 2.2 terawatts by the end of 2024, and are expected to more than triple to more than 7 terawatts by 2030.
Automotive industry — Every electrical action in a modern car is activated with silver-coated contacts. Basic functions such as starting the engine, opening power windows, adjusting power seats and closing power trunks are all activated using a silver membrane switch. Furthermore, in January 2021,…
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