Raw, especially renewable (oleochemicals), materials, viz., vegetable oils, used to make surfactants are described. They represent prospective production sources. World market trends in surfactants are outlined. Of the world market's 65 surfactants, 16 are based on oleochemicals, 28 on petrochemicals, and 21 are of mixed origin (Table 3). Of major economic importance are anionics: soaps (50% of all surfactants) and linear alkyl aryl sulfonates (in EU, anionics predominate over nonionics and cationics). Recently, the household and industrial consumption of surfactans is seen to increase, mostly of nonionics, especially in the form of concentrates and pellets.