World Roofing Demand to Increase

Global demand for roofing materials is projected to advance 2.6 percent per year through 2010 with a market value of $54 billion, according to a study by Cleveland-based market research firm, the Freedonia Group.

Developing countries in Asia, including China, will record the fastest growth in demand for roofing materials through 2010, according to the study. Rising living standards in countries like India, Malaysia and Thailand will foster demand for new housing construction, as well as re-roofing with more durable or aesthetically pleasing materials.

Other regions with gains in roofing demand exceeding the world average will be Eastern Europe and the Africa/Mideast region.

The world’s industrialized countries will see more restrained increases in demand for roofing materials, the study predicts. In the United States, the global leader in roofing demand, prospects for roofing materials will benefit from an improving outlook for nonresidential building construction.

Elastomeric and plastic roofing materials are expected to post the fastest increases through 2010, each from a relatively small base.