Is Translation a Booming Industry?

In 2012, the size of the global translation industry was estimated at US$33.52 billion. By 2019, the global market for translation, localization, and other language-related services was expected to reach $49.8 billion—a clear sign of significant growth.

But what does the language services industry actually include?

What Do Translation Services Encompass?

Translation services refer to companies and professionals who translate written content from one language into one or more other languages. This can include anything from legal contracts and product manuals to marketing materials and websites.

A core component of modern translation is localization—the adaptation of content to suit the cultural and linguistic norms of a specific region. Localization is especially important for international companies that want to connect with local markets. For example, a global tech firm might localize its software interface and customer support into Arabic to enter markets like UAE, Saudi Arabia, or Egypt.

Global Growth Is Fueling the Translation Industry

With global demand rising across sectors like healthcare, IT, education, legal, and e-commerce, the language services industry is expanding alongside them. The faster global economies grow, the greater the demand for professional translation to support cross-border communication, product localization, regulatory compliance, and customer engagement.

Translation plays a crucial role in helping businesses navigate international markets and reach non-English-speaking audiences. As more businesses move online and expand their reach, the need for affordable translation services and multi-language support becomes increasingly essential.

Translation Is Recession-Resilient—But Highly Fragmented

One of the most interesting aspects of the translation market is its resilience to economic downturns. Despite global recessions, the industry continues to grow steadily. However, it remains highly fragmented.

According to Common Sense Advisory (CSA), a well-known translation industry research group, the largest players range from military contractors to private localization firms. The top 100 firms vary greatly in size—from $427 million to just $4 million in annual revenue.

The United States is the single largest market for translation services, followed by Europe, while Asia is currently the fastest-growing region in terms of demand.

The Future of Translation: Human and Machine Collaboration

With the rapid advancement of machine translation (MT) and artificial intelligence, some observers speculate that machines will eventually eliminate the need for human translators—especially for high-volume content like product descriptions, customer support, and basic marketing.

However, while MT can handle repetitive and formulaic tasks, it still struggles with nuance, tone, and cultural relevance—especially in languages like Arabic, which require context-aware translation for accuracy. This is where professional human translators remain indispensable.

A Multilingual Future: More Languages, More Opportunity

According to CSA, the number of languages that businesses must support is rapidly increasing. While 14 core languages are sufficient to reach 75% of global Internet users today, reaching the next 20% will require support for 40 more languages.

By 2027, CSA estimates that businesses will need to translate content into 60+ languages to effectively reach 96% of the world’s online population.

This rising demand opens up massive opportunities for translators, especially those who specialize in niche or regional languages like Arabic, Swahili, or Pashto. Arabic translators who understand both the linguistic and cultural subtleties of various dialects (Gulf Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Levantine, etc.) will be in especially high demand.