Freedonia Market Research Analyzes Global Roofing Industry

Global roofing demand is forecast to expand 2.9 percent per annum through 2012 to 10.3 billion square meters, with a value of $65 billion.  Demand will be driven by accelerating growth in the two largest markets:  the US and China.  The US market is expected to expand as housing construction recovers from the downturn that began in 2006.  Chinese demand will benefit from advances in the residential market, which will be driven by rising per capita income levels.  In general, the developing regions of the world are expected to outpace the developed markets.  These and other trends, including market share and company profiles, are presented in World Roofing, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

The emerging economies of Asia, including China, will record the fastest growth in demand for roofing materials through 2012.  Rapid population growth in countries such as India, the Philippines and Malaysia will generate demand for housing, while strong economic expansion in China, India and Malaysia spurs demand in the nonresidential market.  The Chinese market is forecast to surpass the US as the world’s largest roofing market by area.  Demand for low-slope roofing materials (e.g., modified bitumen, elastomeric and plastic membranes) will offer above average gains, benefiting from strong demand in the nonresidential market.

In 2007, bituminous roofing was the most widely used roofing material in the global market.  This status stems from the popularity of bituminous shingles in the US and Canada, and the widespread use of low-slope bituminous roofing materials in China and Western Europe.  Going forward, the fastest growing markets for bituminous roofing are expected to be the nonresidential construction markets of Asia and Eastern Europe.

Tile roofing was the second largest segment of world roofing demand in 2007, with one-third of total roofing area.  Concrete tile accounted for the largest share, with nearly 60 percent of the total.  Tile’s prominence comes from its ubiquity in the Asia/Pacific region and Western Europe.  The fastest gains for tile are expected to come from the smaller Africa/Mideast region, where it is the most widely used roofing material. Plastic and elastomeric roofing materials are projected to post the fastest gains through 2012, each from a relatively small base. 

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.