Spanish brick and roof tile industry grown by 5 percent in 2025

Hispalyt, the Spanish association of brick and roof tile manufacturers, presented the sector’s performance for 2025 and the key challenges facing the industry in the areas of housing, energy and industrialisation at its general meeting, held as part of its 46th congress in Bilbao from 11 to 13 June. This was reported in a press release issued by the association on 16 June 2026.

Data on the brick and roof tile sector for 2025

Hispalyt’s president, Pedro Rognoni, presented the sector’s figures for 2025. According to data collected by the association, the sector produced a total of 5.7 million tonnes of bricks, representing an increase of 4.6 percent compared with 2024. Furthermore, turnover amounted to 755 million euros, representing a 5.0 percent increase on the previous year.

According to Rognoni, these results confirm the sector’s growth trend, which is being driven by increasing construction activity and rising demand for industrialised, sustainable and energy-efficient building solutions.

The number of employees also rose by 2.0 percent compared with the previous year to 4,975. Of particular note is the growth in female employment, with the number of women rising to 680 – 9.7 percent more than the previous year – bringing the proportion of women to 13.7 percent of the total workforce.

This rise in all sector indicators occurred despite the fact that the number of registered companies fell from 130 to 125 last year.

According to Rognoni, developments over the last decade illustrate the profound transformation the sector has undergone. Since 2014, production has risen by 46.2 percent, turnover by 115.7 percent and employment by 38.2 percent, whilst the average company size has multiplied, reflecting a process of modernisation, business consolidation and improved competitiveness.

Furthermore, the sector’s exports reached 95.4 million euros, 120 percent more than in 2014. These figures show a stabilisation in export activity and point to a gradual recovery in international markets.

The president of Hispalyt viewed these figures positively. “In light of these figures, we can say that the sector is showing a positive trend in its key economic and production indicators. This consolidates the recovery that has been underway in recent years and strengthens its role as a strategic industry in meeting the rising demand for housing and refurbishment,” he explained.

Developments in the housing market in Spain

Pedro Rognoni analysed the data on housing construction and the current challenges in this sector. Forecasts for the construction sector point to moderately optimistic growth, with estimates of up to 4.1 percent for 2026 and 4 percent for 2027.

The data for 2025 confirm the sustained growth in construction activity that has been underway in recent years. The number of new-build starts reached its highest level since the financial crisis, whilst the number of planning permissions continues to show a positive trend.

These results reflect the strength of existing demand for housing in Spain and, at the same time, the need to increase supply in order to tackle an issue that has become one of the country’s most important social and economic concerns.

According to Rognoni, the outlook for 2026 remains favourable and points to a further expansion of construction activity. He emphasised, however, that it is essential for this growth to be accompanied by a firm commitment to construction quality, energy efficiency and the sustainability of buildings. “Here at Hispalyt, we believe that it is not enough simply to build more homes; we need to build better homes. Homes that are more efficient, safer, more sustainable and longer-lasting.”

Decarbonisation and energy infrastructure

One of the major challenges facing the ceramics industry is the decarbonisation of production processes. The brick and roof tile industry has committed to decarbonisation through the electrification of processes, but the new European climate targets require a far more profound transformation of the energy systems used in manufacturing.

Hispalyt has produced a study on the energy infrastructure required for the decarbonisation of the brick and roof tile industry. It concludes that, in the short and medium term, the most important route to decarbonisation will lie in the electrification of thermal manufacturing processes, as other energy alternatives still face significant limitations in terms of availability, technological maturity or cost.

However, the analyses carried out show that the electricity infrastructure currently available is insufficient to meet the demand that this transformation will entail.

For this reason, Hispalyt has emphasised to the Spanish authorities the need to plan and implement the necessary investments in energy networks. Sufficient renewable energy, appropriate infrastructure and the right framework conditions are essential for further progress in reducing emissions. According to the president of Hispalyt, “decarbonisation does not depend solely on the industry‘s will. It also requires that the necessary energy infrastructure be expanded at the same pace as regulatory requirements”.