Demand for drywall worldwide is forecast to advance 4.0 percent per year through 2020 to 10.0 billion square meters, a deceleration from the rate of the 2010–2015 period. However, demand growth will vary considerably from region to region due to economic and construction activity. Central and South America is projected to post the fastest demand gains through 2020, due to advances in residential and nonresidential building construction activity. Additionally, growing usage of drywall in place of traditional building techniques and materials will contribute to demand gains. These and other trends are presented in “World Drywall & Building Plaster,” a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.
The Asia/Pacific and Africa/Mideast regions are forecast to record solid growth in drywall demand through 2020. In the Asia/Pacific region, China alone will account for two-thirds of all new product demand gains. Additionally, drywall is expected to continue to gain popularity as local construction firms move away from more traditional building practices and materials.
North America, Eastern Europe and Western Europe will post more moderate gains in drywall demand through 2020. In North America, sales of drywall in the US, its largest market, are expected to slow as building construction spending decelerates. However, in Canada drywall demand is expected to rebound from losses posted between 2010 and 2015, and in Mexico growth in demand will be above the global average.
Drywall demand in both Eastern and Western Europe is projected to accelerate after a period of stagnation (Eastern Europe) or decline (Western Europe), though both regions will post overall demand growth below the global average. Moderate advances in building construction activity will boost demand. Also, drywall is expected to gain popularity in some countries that traditionally favor wet construction techniques, including Italy, Russia, Spain and Ukraine.
