Global Hard Surface Flooring

Report Overview

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This study examines global supply and demand for hard surface flooring. Historical data (2009, 2014, and 2019) and forecasts for 2024 and 2029 are provided for hard surface flooring demand by product and market, net exports, and shipments on a country-by-country basis.

Hard surface flooring is segmented into:

• nonresilient flooring, which remains inflexible even when heavy objects are placed upon and removed from the surface:
  • ceramic (e.g., glazed tiles, unglazed tiles, mosaic tile)
  • wood (solid wood and engineered wood)
  • laminate (e.g., high pressure, direct pressure)
  • other nonresilient flooring, including porcelain tile and slab, bamboo, stone, sintered stone, glass, metal, seamless, and plastic grating
• resilient flooring, which regains its original shape and appearance after heavy objects are removed from the surface:
  • vinyl (e.g., vinyl sheet; vinyl composition tile; luxury vinyl tile; hybrid product such as wood-plastic composite, solid polymer core)
  • other resilient flooring (e.g., linoleum, cork, rubber, asphalt, leather)

Hard surface flooring demand by market is presented for:

• new residential construction (single family, multifamily, and manufactured homes)
• residential improvement and repair (same as above)
• new nonresidential construction (office buildings; retail buildings; lodging buildings; institutional buildings; education buildings; healthcare buildings; religious buildings; industrial buildings; transportation buildings; and other nonresidential buildings, including amusement buildings, arcades, fitness centers, civic and convention centers, concert halls, community centers, country clubs, buildings at parks and campgrounds, movie theaters, etc.)
• nonresidential improvement and repair (same as above)
• vehicle and nonbuilding (freight vehicles such as trucks, ships, and rail cars; fleet vehicles such as taxis and police cars; recreational vehicles; recreational boats; aircraft; and nonbuilding structures such as airport runways, power plants, electrical substations, switch houses, tennis courts, golf courses, motor speedways, and water treatment and solid waste disposal facilities)

Demand by product and market is presented in square meter terms, while demand totals are also presented in dollars at the regional and global levels. Demand in value terms is shown at the manufacturers’ level and excludes distributor and retailer markups.

Demand by Market

Hard surface flooring products are primarily installed in residential and nonresidential buildings, with lesser demand in vehicles and nonbuilding applications:

• The residential market includes single-family homes, multifamily structures, and manufactured housing.
• The nonresidential market comprises office and commercial, institutional, industrial, and other facilities.
• Among the major applications in the transportation market are freight vehicles (e.g., trucks, ships, and rail cars) and fleet vehicles (e.g., taxi cabs and police cars).
• Hard surface flooring is also used, albeit to a lesser extent, in light vehicles, recreational vehicles (RVs), recreational boats, and aircraft.

Since the main use of hard surface flooring is in buildings, the primary factor determining flooring demand is building construction activity, both new construction and replacement projects. Replacement and remodeling activity has the most significant influence on sales, as most hard surface flooring is installed as a part of larger repair or renovation projects.

While many similarities exist between residential and nonresidential hard surface flooring, there are a handful of significant differences:

• Nonresidential flooring is generally provided in patterns rather than solid colors, as patterns do a better job of hiding stains.
• Nonresidential hard surface flooring is typically thicker and has a more durable wear layer than residential varieties.
• Vehicular hard surface flooring is unlike residential and nonresidential products in that it meets the specifications of individual original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), rather than end users.
• Flooring installed at the OEM level generally remains in place throughout the life of the vehicle, although mats may be replaced more often.

International Trade

While trade in hard surface flooring products is substantial in absolute terms, most products (wood, ceramic tile, stone, and marble) are heavy and expensive to ship – giving the advantage to manufacturers sited close to centers of demand.

However, the share of global output traded across borders has grown in recent years. This is at least partially attributable to an increase in market share for vinyl flooring, which is lightweight compared to most other product types.

China is expected to remain by far the world’s largest exporter of hard surface flooring products through 2024:

• The country’s abundant clay resources support sizable production of commodity-grade ceramic flooring, which will allow Chinese producers to supply a significant share of the growth expected in developing countries worldwide.
• China is a major producer of wood and vinyl flooring, making it a competitor in developed nations as well.

Other notable hard surface flooring exporters include:

• Spain and Italy, which export ceramic tile throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Mideast
• Brazil, which exports wood and ceramic flooring
• South Korea, a leading supplier of vinyl flooring

The majority of the world’s nations are net importers of hard surface flooring, though the US had the largest trade deficit in 2019 by far. Many countries in Western Europe – including the UK, France, and Germany – as well as Canada are also major net importers of hard surface flooring products.

Sustainability Initiatives

Renewable Resources

The use of renewable resources is another way companies can achieve their sustainability goals. Renewable materials used in flooring include cork, bamboo, some types of hardwood, linoleum, and wool.

As deforestation has become an increasingly important issue worldwide, interest has increased in bamboo-based flooring. Bamboo is a rapidly renewing resource, as it can be harvested every five to seven years – much more frequently than hardwoods. Companies offering lines of bamboo flooring include Teragren and Wellmade.

Cork, which consists of the bark of the cork tree, is highly renewable, as it can be harvested every nine years without damaging the tree. This material is primarily grown in Portugal and Spain. Producers of cork flooring include Jelinek Cork Group and WE Cork.

Linoleum is made from natural, renewable materials such as linseed oil, cork dust, rosin, wood flour, and limestone. Suppliers of linoleum flooring include Armstrong Flooring and Tarkett.

Global demand for hard surface flooring is forecast to rise 3.0% per year to 17.1 billion square meters valued at $238 billion in 2024, driven by:

• increased construction of new housing and nonresidential buildings, particularly in the Asia/Pacific region
• higher spending on improvements and repairs to existing buildings in the US and Western Europe, particularly among homeowners, many of whom will continue to spend more time at home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
• design trends in the large US market that increasingly favor hard surface flooring over wall-to-wall carpeting, which has historically dominated the domestic flooring market
• greater use of finished floor covering relative to total floor space as standards of living improve worldwide
• widespread use of ceramic tile flooring in many developing countries due to its availability, low cost, and amenability to desert and tropical climates

Losses of COVID-19 Pandemic Mitigated by Elevated Home Improvement Spending

In much of the world, new housing and nonresidential building construction fell in 2020, causing flooring demand to decline. However, the residential renovation market registered growth in 2020, due in part to strength in the US. Homeowners spending more time at home have undertaken a variety of home improvement projects, including the replacement of existing flooring (whether hard surface or wall-to-wall carpeting) with new hard surface products. Most countries that saw hard surface flooring demand decline in 2020 are expected to recover in 2021. Despite that expected rebound, the nonresidential market will continue to be negatively affected by ongoing pandemic-related weakness in construction spending.

Economic & Design Trends Continue to Boost Global Hard Surface Flooring Demand

Use of hard surface flooring is increasing due to both economic and aesthetic trends:

• Hard surface flooring products will increasingly be used in developing countries as larger shares of the population formalize their housing.
• Both residential and nonresidential users in the large US market will increasingly opt for hard surface flooring over carpeting because of its longer lifespan, low maintenance, and positive impact on indoor air quality.
• Consumers around the world increasingly prefer LVT because it has superior performance properties and is available in ever more attractive finishes.

Ceramic & Vinyl Flooring Usage Continues to Rise

Through 2024, ceramic flooring will remain the most used product in the global hard surface flooring market. This is due to both the concentration of ceramic flooring markets in fast-growing, developing nations and to technological advancements that continue to improve ceramic’s aesthetic properties.

Vinyl products – particularly LVT – are also taking market share from laminate flooring; they are expected to register strong growth because of their favorable aesthetics, performance properties, and relatively low cost, making them a popular option in both developed and developing markets.