Automotive lighting suppliers bracing for another challenging year in 2026

Lighting suppliers struggled in 2025 despite a recovery in global light vehicle production.

Automotive lighting suppliers reported moderate growth in lighting system supply in 2025, driven by the recovery in light vehicle production. According to data compiled by S&P Global Mobility’s analysts, the supply of headlights and taillights each improved by 2.5% year over year to 183 million units as global light vehicle production increased 3.1% year over year to 92.2 million vehicles. Moreover, lighting suppliers also recorded 6.2% year-over-year growth in the supply of ambient light components to 336.7 million units. In addition to increased light-vehicle production volume, higher fitment rates highlighted the continued growth in ambient light content per vehicle.