Global LED Module Market Outlook, 2031

The LED module market is defined less by chip performance in isolation than by the certification file that allows a module to be designed into a luminaire and sold in a given jurisdiction, and the past eighteen months have produced a simultaneous revision of the standards governing electrical safety, thermal validation, and photobiological risk. IEC 62031:2026, published as the third edition and superseding the 2018 second edition, constitutes a technical revision rather than an editorial update: it clarifies the scope and applicability to independent and integral LED modules, updates the marking clause to address control-terminal marking, undertakes a full review of electrical, thermal, and mechanical safety requirements to prevent misinterpretation and ambiguity, updates photobiological safety requirements, and revises fault and abnormal-condition provisions, while removing the annex on conformity testing during manufacture. The standard explicitly excludes LED packages, automotive lighting modules, OLED modules, and LED lamps, which means that the general-illumination module category is defined by what it is not as much as by what it is. The North American framework imposes a different but complementary burden. UL 8750 requires that any control relied upon to perform safety-critical functions be evaluated as a Safety-Related Electronic Circuit, directing the assessment toward UL 60730-1 Annex H where electronics perform those functions, and the standard addresses the thermal interface between the LED module and the driver, current regulation over the module’s lifetime, and optical radiation evaluation for blue-light hazard in high-brightness modules. The energy-policy layer adds a third dimension. Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2020 applies ecodesign requirements to light sources, and where an LED module meets the light-source definition it falls within the efficacy and functional-requirement framework rather than being treated as a passive component. The DesignLights Consortium’s SSL V6.0, released in final policy on 3 November 2025, raised the minimum efficacy requirement by an average of 14 percent across all product types, varying from 4 percent for some replacement lamps to 19 percent for some outdoor products, and it retained the requirement for IES LM-79, ISTMT, and LM-80 test reports corresponding directly to the submitted product, with LM-80 requiring at least 6,000 hours of operation at a minimum of three case temperatures.

The certification-file axis separates suppliers who can hold concurrent approvals from those confined to single markets, and the transition timelines are now the binding constraint. China’s CQC revised its certification rule for general-illumination LED module safety and electromagnetic compatibility to CQC12-465393-2024, replacing GB/T 19510.1-2023 for control gear and GB/T 24819-2023 for the module safety standard, and adding GB/Z 39942-2021 as a referenced standard; the module safety standard GB/T 24819-2023 replaces GB 24819-2009 and is dual-numbered with IEC 62031. India’s BIS released IS 16103 (Part 1):2025 aligned to IEC 62031:2018, and subsequently extended the implementation deadline from 21 January 2026 to 21 July 2026, with all models registered under the 2012 standard required to transition by the revised date or face registration cancellation or deletion from the BIS registry. Saudi Arabia applies SASO-IEC-62031 for general lighting LED modules, approved in 2020 alongside SASO IEC 60598 and SASO 2902:2018/AMD2:2023, which became mandatory on 31 March 2025 with customs and factory enforcement from 1 June 2025 and market enforcement from 1 June 2026, and which added testing and claim requirements for linearly scalable LED modules including LED strips. Brazil’s INMETRO framework is in consultation through Consulta Pública 40/2025, which proposes bringing LED light sources into a consolidated regulation and explicitly requests acceptance of component-manufacturer test reports for LEDs and drivers to avoid duplicative testing and laboratory bottlenecks, while Portaria 231/2026 establishes the consolidated conformity assessment for LED lamps and luminaires with compliance required from 5 May 2030. Entry barriers therefore sit at the certificate-file level, at the thermal-documentation level required by DLC and UL 8750, and at the photobiological-safety level that IEC 62031:2026 and IEC 62471/TR 62778 impose on high-brightness modules.

Market Dynamics Driver: IEC 62031:2026 safety overhaul and DLC efficacy uplift forcing module redesign
The third edition of IEC 62031 constitutes a full technical revision that affects the module designs already in production, and it arrives alongside a DLC efficacy increase that removes lower-performance modules from qualified-product eligibility. The 2026 edition clarifies the applicability of the standard to independent and integral LED modules, updates marking requirements for control terminals, and revises fault and abnormal-condition provisions, while updating photobiological safety requirements that connect to IEC 62471 and IEC/TR 62778 for blue-light hazard assessment. The DLC’s SSL V6.0 simultaneously raised the minimum efficacy requirement by an average of 14 percent, reaching 19 percent for some outdoor product types, and retained the LM-79, ISTMT, and LM-80 reporting chain that requires at least 6,000 hours of LM-80 data at three case temperatures. Bridgelux’s Gen 9 COB range at 182 to 202 lumens per watt and ams OSRAM’s 225 lumens per watt mid-power SMD indicate that the component supply base has the performance headroom to meet these thresholds, but modules designed to the prior safety edition and the prior efficacy floor require requalification rather than mere relabelling.

Challenge: Simultaneous certification transitions across CCC, BIS, SASO, and INMETRO
The principal constraint on module market access is that four major certification regimes revised their requirements within overlapping windows, and each transition resets the approval status of existing product families. China’s CQC12-465393-2024 rule and GB/T 24819-2023 replace the prior module standards, with the new rule adding GB/Z 39942-2021 as a referenced standard. India’s IS 16103 (Part 1):2025 implementation deadline moved to 21 July 2026, and failure to update registrations results in cancellation or deletion from the BIS registry. Saudi Arabia’s SASO 2902:2018/AMD2:2023 became mandatory on 31 March 2025 with market enforcement from 1 June 2026 and added linear scalable module testing requirements that did not previously apply. Brazil’s INMETRO framework is transitioning through Consulta Pública 40/2025 toward Portaria 231/2026 with a 2030 compliance date, and the consultation acknowledges laboratory bottlenecks by proposing to accept component-manufacturer test reports. A mid-sized module manufacturer serving all four markets must run parallel requalification programmes, and the testing capacity constraint that Brazil’s consultation explicitly identifies is a sector-wide bottleneck rather than a single-firm problem.

Trend: Thermal validation and photobiological safety converging as module-level qualification criteria
Thermal resistance and photobiological safety are migrating from datasheet parameters into certification-critical attributes, because both the safety and energy-qualification frameworks now require evidence that can only be generated through module-level testing. Flip-chip COB packaging has reduced thermal resistance to 0.02 to 0.11 degrees Celsius per watt for high-power modules and as low as 0.006 to 0.01 degrees Celsius per watt in metal-core PCB designs, and this matters because UL 8750 places the thermal interface between module and driver within scope while DLC’s ISTMT requirement demands in-situ case-temperature measurement. IEC 62031:2026 updates photobiological safety requirements, and the IEC 62471 and IEC/TR 62778 framework provides the blue-light hazard assessment method that high-brightness modules must satisfy, with the hazard classification determined by spectral and optical calculations rather than by subjective assessment. The trend favours suppliers who can supply LM-80 data across three case temperatures and ISTMT results alongside the safety certificate, because the test-report chain is now the gating document rather than the module’s headline efficacy figure.



Segmentation Analysis By Module Type
• Chip-on-board modules concentrate multiple dies on a single substrate under a unified phosphor layer, delivering high lumen density and simplified optical design, and Bridgelux’s Gen 9 COB range at 182 to 202 lumens per watt with the V22C reaching 10,568 lumens at 199 lumens per watt demonstrates that the architecture covers compact downlight through high-output high-bay applications.
• SMD modules distribute lower-power packages across a board and dominate mid-power applications, with ams OSRAM’s OSCONIQ S 3030 reaching 225 lumens per watt at 4000K and 0.5-watt drive at CRI 80 and 207 lumens per watt at CRI 90, and newer mid-power modules at 180 lumens per watt reaching lumen packages that previously required high-power architectures.
• Chip-on-board integrated modules, which combine the COB light engine with driver and control electronics in a single assembly, are the form factor most directly affected by the UL 8750 Safety-Related Electronic Circuit requirement, because any control relied upon for safety-critical function within the integrated assembly must be evaluated to UL 60730-1 Annex H.
• Other LED modules, including flexible and rigid linear modules, are subject to the same IEC 62031:2026 and UL 8750 safety requirements, with the linear scalable formats specifically addressed in Saudi Arabia’s SASO 2902:2018/AMD2:2023 amendment.

By Configuration
• Rigid modules, built on metal-core or ceramic substrates, provide the dimensional stability and thermal performance required for COB high-power arrays and for downlight and high-bay engines, and their thermal resistance determines whether LM-80 and ISTMT data can be generated at the case temperatures the luminaire will impose.
• Flexible modules, built on polyimide or similar substrates, serve curved, linear, and space-constrained applications, and they are the format most exposed to the SASO 2902 amendment’s testing and claim requirements for linearly scalable LED modules, which specifically addresses LED strips and flexible linear products.

By Power Rating
• Low-power modules serve indicator, signage, and low-output residential applications where cost per lumen dominates, and they are the category where mid-power SMD packages at 0.2 to 0.5 watts per package are the default.
• Mid-power modules in the roughly 5 to 30 watt range constitute the volume core of residential, commercial downlight, and linear fixture demand, and the efficacy gains in this band have been substantial, with 180 lumens per watt mid-power modules now reaching lumen packages that previously required high-power architectures.
• High-power modules above 30 watts serve high-bay, outdoor, and automotive-adjacent applications, and this is the band where COB architecture dominates because the lumen density per unit area and the thermal-resistance advantage of flip-chip packaging determine whether the module can be driven at rated current within the case-temperature limits that UL 8750 and IEC 62031:2026 impose.

By Application
• General lighting remains the largest application for LED modules in volume terms, and it is the segment most directly governed by the efficacy thresholds in DLC SSL V6.0 and the safety requirements in IEC 62031:2026, with the module’s LM-80 and ISTMT data determining whether the finished luminaire can qualify for utility rebate eligibility.
• Automotive lighting uses LED modules that IEC 62031:2026 explicitly excludes from its scope, and automotive modules are instead governed by AEC-Q102 and the automotive-specific reliability and thermal-cycling regimes that differ from general-illumination safety standards.
• Display and backlighting applications use COB and SMD modules where lumen density, colour consistency, and thin-profile form factors are the primary selection criteria, and the efficacy gains in mid-power SMD have made edge-lit and direct-lit backlight architectures viable at lower cost.
• Specialty lighting, including horticulture, UV, and architectural accent, uses modules where the performance requirement is spectral rather than luminous, and the photobiological safety requirements updated in IEC 62031:2026 apply to UV and high-brightness specialty modules through the IEC 62471 framework.

By End-user
• Residential end-users consume low-power and mid-power modules in replacement lamps and integrated fixtures, and the Matter certification pathway is increasingly relevant because 25, 40, and 60 watt LED drivers carrying Matter 1.3 certification from the CSA Alliance allow residential modules to integrate into cross-brand smart-home ecosystems without proprietary hubs.
• Commercial end-users constitute the largest specification-driven demand pool because DLC SSL V6.0’s efficacy thresholds and LM-80/ISTMT reporting chain apply to the modules inside listed luminaires, and a module that cannot support the LM-80 data at three case temperatures excludes the luminaire from qualified-product listing regardless of the luminaire’s own design.
• Industrial end-users require high-power modules with robust thermal design and wide operating-temperature tolerance, and the COB architecture’s thermal-resistance advantage is most directly monetised in high-bay and outdoor industrial luminaires where case temperature and lifetime dominate the total-cost calculation.
• Automotive end-users operate outside the IEC 62031 scope and are governed by AEC-Q102 and vehicle-specific qualification regimes, which means that module suppliers serving both general illumination and automotive must maintain separate qualification files for the same die technology.

Regional Analysis • China is the dominant manufacturing base and the most active certification-transition market, with CQC12-465393-2024 replacing the prior certification rule, GB/T 24819-2023 replacing GB 24819-2009 and dual-numbered with IEC 62031, and GB/Z 39942-2021 added as a referenced standard, all under the CCC framework that governs module market access.
• India’s BIS released IS 16103 (Part 1):2025 aligned to IEC 62031:2018 and extended the implementation deadline to 21 July 2026, after which registrations under the 2012 standard face cancellation or deletion, and IS 16103 (Part 2):2025 aligned to IEC 62717:2019 covers performance requirements alongside the safety standard.
• Europe applies IEC 62031:2026 through the harmonised EN version and Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2020, where an LED module meeting the light-source definition falls within the ecodesign efficacy and functional-requirement framework, alongside IEC 62471 and IEC/TR 62778 for blue-light hazard.
• North America operates under UL 8750 listing, with the Safety-Related Electronic Circuit requirement directing safety-critical control evaluation to UL 60730-1 Annex H, and DLC SSL V6.0 sets the efficacy and LM-80/ISTMT reporting framework from January 2026, with the average 14 percent efficacy increase and the 50,000-hour driver-lifetime requirement applying to the module-driver combination.
• Saudi Arabia applies SASO-IEC-62031 alongside SASO 2902:2018/AMD2:2023, which became mandatory on 31 March 2025 with market enforcement from 1 June 2026 and added linearly scalable module testing requirements.
• Brazil is transitioning through INMETRO Consulta Pública 40/2025 toward Portaria 231/2026, with the consultation proposing acceptance of component-manufacturer test reports to address laboratory bottlenecks and a compliance date of 5 May 2030.
• Australia’s GEMS LED Lamps Determination 2025, which commenced on 3 March 2026, applies MEPS and labelling to LED lamps and references AS/NZS 5341:2021 for efficacy and functional performance testing, creating a lamp-level framework that indirectly governs the modules designed into covered lamp types.
• Japan requires PSE compliance under the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act, with JIS C 8154 providing the safety specification for general illumination LED modules and the circular PSE self-declaration pathway available for lower-risk products alongside diamond PSE third-party certification for specified appliances.

Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2020
• Base year: 2025
• Estimated year: 2026
• Forecast year: 2031

Aspects covered in this report
• Global LED Module Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Module Type
• Chip-on-Board (COB)
• Surface-Mounted Device (SMD)
• Chip-on-Board Integrated Modules
• Other LED Modules

By Configuration
• Rigid Modules
• Flexible Modules

By Power Rating
• Low-Power
• Mid-Power
• High-Power

By Application
• General Lighting
• Automotive Lighting
• Display & Backlighting
• Specialty Lighting

By End-user
• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Automotive