About 100 countries produce water meters across the world, and themain producers are in Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Poland, Czech Republic, China, Japan and America. Total demand volume is about 100 million units-120 million units.
Currently, the comon mechanical water meters and smart water meters are commonly used in China. From the types of water meters for civil use, common mechanical water meters have the largest proportion, up to about 85%, and electromagnetic water meter, ultrasonic water meter and combination water meter have a small proportion.
With the improvement of technical level, smart water meters can save cost, so the proportion of newly installed smart water meter and old water meter replaced by smart water meter increasingly rises. The 12th Five-Year Plan of Nationwide Water Facilities Renovation and Construction points out that it estimates that market annual growth rate of smart water meter will be 30%, market scale will be 18 million units by 2015, and the main growth is from newly installed water meters and the replacement of common mechanical water meters. Supposing that output of ultrasonic water meters account for 5% of smart water meters, output of Chinas ultrasound water meters will reach to 900 thousand units by 2015.
As of 2012, demand volume for smart water meters was about 8.3234 million units, of which, demand volume for ultrasonic water meters was about 297 thousand units. According to the 12th Five-Year Plan and Huidian Researchs calculation, the compound annual growth rate of demand for gas meters, water meters and calorimeters will reach 20%, 10% and 33% respectively during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan, of which, demand growth of smart gas meters and smart water meters will reach about 30%, which are higher than overall growth rate of related meters. The report predicts that average growth rate of ultrasonic water meters will reach more than 27%.
Sources: http://www.askci.com/news/201303/20/2011261929193.shtml