Cement consumption in Catalonia during February dropped by 5.3% compared to the same month in 2024, bringing the annual variation to 0.9% and a total volume of 2.14 million tonnes. These figures confirm the trend of stagnation in the domestic market observed over the past year. At the same time, while production recorded a 10% decrease in February, exports rose by 5.3%, with year-on-year increases of 6.6% and 7.6% respectively.
The situation of the cement industry is a consequence of and correlates with the evolution of the infrastructure and residential construction markets. It is worth noting that public works tenders in Catalonia grew by 3.7% in 2024, reaching 3.443 billion euros—a volume that does not offset the drop in 2023 and remains far from the 3.955 billion euros recorded in 2022. Meanwhile, the construction of new housing increased by 8.2% across Catalonia in 2024, reaching 15,604 units (although with a 10.8% decline in Barcelona, totalling 1,151 homes).
The president of the employers’ association Ciment Català, Salvador Fernández Capo, believes that a recovery in consumption will come through the revitalisation of these two markets (public works and residential construction). In this regard, he states that factories are ‘waiting for the implementation of the Government’s plans for public housing construction and for the renovation and expansion of infrastructure, especially rail.’ He also insists on highlighting, as examples that affect both citizens’ well-being and the competitiveness of the Catalan economy, ‘the collapses in the Rodalies commuter rail and motorway networks, the lack of guaranteed water supply, or the high cost of rent due to insufficient housing supply.’