Trends and Dynamics of the Global Building Materials Market in 2025
I. Market Scale Status and Growth Trends
Continuous Expansion of Overall Scale
The global building materials market shows a steady growth trend, with the new building materials sector serving as the core driver. Specifically, the global market size of new building materials reached 1.2 trillion US dollars in 2023, and it is projected to exceed 1.6 trillion US dollars by 2025, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.9% during the period from 2023 to 2030.
The traditional building materials sector also continues to grow: in 2023, its market size exceeded 180 billion US dollars, and its further expansion is supported by investments in infrastructure, industrialization, and urbanization.
Significant Differentiation in Market Segments
Building materials with health-related functions and eco-friendly energy-efficient materials exhibit the highest growth rates. It is estimated that by 2025, the global market size of antibacterial and antiviral building materials will exceed 18 billion yuan.
In China, the market size of high-performance concrete and eco-friendly energy-efficient wall materials will reach 1.7 trillion yuan and 1.15 trillion yuan respectively.
Furthermore, specific segments such as smart glass and eco-friendly decorative materials show an annual growth rate of over 10%.
II. Core Development Trends
(I) Technological Innovations Drive Functional Upgrades
Health-Related Properties Become a Core Competitive Advantage
The integration of functions like antibacterial effects and purification has become a major trend in the upgrading of building materials products.
A leading enterprise has developed a technology for an "antibacterial, antiviral, formaldehyde-decomposing, and anti-pollution agent," which has increased the antibacterial activity of its products by 40% and achieved a world-class level in terms of the durability of its effects.
This technology has already been widely applied in scenarios such as medical buildings and luxury hotels, with a market conversion rate that is 35% higher than the industry average.
These technological advancements are driving the transformation of decorative materials (such as acoustic panels) toward "functional complexity," and some products now combine dual properties: sound absorption and antibacterial effects.
R&D Systems Reshape Industry Competitiveness
Leading companies are strengthening their advantages by establishing comprehensive R&D platforms.
A publicly listed company has set up 36 innovation platforms, holds 1,327 nationally registered patents (31% of which are invention patents), and has built a coordinated "basic research - product development" system. This system supports the continuous upgrading of products such as sound-absorbing materials and eco-friendly tiles.
(II) Carbon Emission Reduction and Eco-Friendly Approaches Guide Structural Adjustments
Policy and Market-Driven Transformation
Global "dual carbon" goals (carbon emission reduction and carbon neutrality) are accelerating the phase-out of outdated production capacities in the building materials industry, and environmental indicators have significantly increased their weight in industry evaluations.
For instance, when selecting patents in the building materials industry in 2025, the weight of environmental performance indicators increased by 17% compared to the previous year.
This trend is driving the upgrading of raw materials for acoustic panels toward carbon emission reduction, and the proportion of eco-friendly materials (such as mineral wool and recycled polyester fibers) continues to rise.
Low-Carbon Companies Enjoy Pricing Advantages
Data shows that building materials companies that have successfully undergone functional and eco-friendly transformation have an average net profit margin that is 2.8-4.5 percentage points higher than the industry average. This makes them a core source of market value.
(III) In-Depth Adjustment of Regional Demand Structure
Asia Leads Market Growth
In 2024, Asia already accounted for the largest share of the global building materials market in terms of scale, and its share is expected to further increase by 2032.
As a core market, China’s new building materials market size will reach 3.8 trillion yuan by 2025, representing a 45% growth compared to 2020 and accounting for 35% of the global market.
Emerging markets such as Saudi Arabia in the Middle East are growing rapidly: it is projected that the building materials market size in Saudi Arabia will reach 88.5 billion US dollars by 2025, and demand for categories like imported wood is showing significant growth.
European and North American Markets Focus on High-End Upgrades
The European Union and North America account for 25% and 18% of the global new building materials market respectively, with demand concentrated in high-end segments such as smart building materials and low-carbon eco-friendly decorative materials.
Moreover, the adoption of acoustic panels in scenarios like offices and audio-visual spaces continues to increase.
III. Market Challenges and Opportunities
Cost Pressure and Competition
Rising raw material prices and tariff adjustments have increased production costs: in markets like Saudi Arabia, the prices of some building materials have risen by 40%.
Traditional companies are facing transformation pressure: if they fail to complete technological upgrades, their market share may drop to less than 60% of the current level by 2026.
Emergence of Structural Opportunities
There are three key areas worthy of attention: first, building materials with health functions (e.g., antibacterial acoustic panels); second, leading companies in carbon emission reduction technology; third, demand for infrastructure equipment in emerging markets, especially opportunities for importing decorative materials in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
