With a number of products now on the market, electric power generation applications accounted for well over half of all commercial fuel cell sales in 2006. However, the portable electronics market is forecast to register the strongest growth through 2011 and beyond, rising from what are presently extremely low levels of demand, as commercialization activity picks up. Demand for fuel cell-powered motor vehicles will also rise at a healthy rate, driven by increases in prototyping, demonstration and test marketing activity as fuel cell technology continues to improve and manufacturing costs decline.

In 2006, five countries -- the US, Japan, Germany, Canada and the UK -- accounted for four-fifths of all commercial fuel cell demand. These and other developed nations will continue to account for the vast majority of product and service sales over the next decade, with a few notable exceptions, like China. Most developing countries are not expected to become sizable fuel cell markets until some time later, due both to less evolved end-use sectors and a scarcity of capital to invest in early-generation fuel cell systems. However, fuel cells will find some use as a source of electricity in developing nations with inadequate central power grids.