Global demand for windows and doors is projected to rise 5 percent per year to $150 billion in 2011, according to a study by the Cleveland-based market research firm the Freedonia Group.
Product sales will be spurred by generally healthy economic growth, rising per capita income and ongoing industrialization efforts in developing parts of the world.
Although growth will be less robust than in developing nations, demand for windows and doors in developed areas will climb as well, according to the Freedonia Group report. In most industrialized countries, repair and improvement-related window and door demand will outperform sales in new construction applications. In the
World demand for vinyl, fiberglass and other plastic door products will outpace increases for other product types, the study predicts. Plastic door demand will be driven by technological advances that are enabling manufacturers to improve the appearance and performance of their products, resulting in competitive inroads being made in a number of markets now served by wood and metal doors. Sales of plastic windows will also grow at an above-average rate through 2011; however, wood and metal products will continue to account for a larger share of window and door demand in many areas, and sales of these items will rise along with construction spending.
According to the study, the residential building market dominates world window and door demand, accounting for 63 percent of all sales in 2006. Consumer product demand will be fueled by higher income levels and growth in the number of households, even in regions such as
The full study, “World Windows and Doors,” is available for purchase through the Freedonia Group at www.freedoniagroup.com.