While numbers like producing over a billion square meters of ceramic tiles and generating a market worth BRL 25.6 billion are impressive, the true story of Brazil's ceramics industry is found in the powerful momentum and sheer scale these statistics reveal.
Key Takeaways
- Brazil's ceramic tile production reached 1,248 million square meters in 2022, marking a 5.2% increase from 2021
- Sanitary ware production in Brazil totaled 28.5 million pieces in 2022, up 3.8% year-over-year
- Red brick production volume was 4.2 billion units in Brazil during 2023
- Brazil ceramics market revenue reached BRL 25.6 billion in 2022
- Ceramic tiles segment generated BRL 18.2 billion in sales value 2023
- Sanitary ware market size was BRL 4.8 billion in Brazil 2022
- Brazil exported 285 million m² of ceramic tiles worth USD 850 million in 2022
- Ceramic tile exports grew 12.4% to 320 million m² in 2023
- Sanitary ware exports reached USD 120 million in value 2022 Brazil
- Brazil imported 45 million m² ceramic tiles valued USD 150 million in 2022
- Sanitary ware imports totaled USD 280 million in 2023 Brazil
- Red brick imports volume 12 million units from China 2021
- Brazil ceramics industry employed 250,000 direct workers in 2022
- Ceramic tile sector jobs totaled 85,000 in 2023 Brazil
- Sanitary ware manufacturing employed 28,000 people 2022
Brazil's ceramics industry shows strong growth in production, revenue, and sustainability.
Employment
- Brazil ceramics industry employed 250,000 direct workers in 2022
- Ceramic tile sector jobs totaled 85,000 in 2023 Brazil
- Sanitary ware manufacturing employed 28,000 people 2022
- Red ceramics workforce 120,000 direct jobs in 2021
- Tableware ceramics employed 12,500 workers 2022
- Structural ceramics jobs 45,000 in Brazil 2023
- Porcelain tile plants employed 32,000 in 2022 Southeast
- Roof tile sector 18,000 jobs 2021
- Floor tile manufacturing 52,000 employees 2023
- Sanitary ware indirect jobs 65,000 total 2022
- Extruded blocks 22,000 workers 2021
- Ornamental ceramics 4,200 jobs 2022
- Total industry formal jobs 220,000 per RAIS 2022
- Wall tile employment 15,000 in 2022
- Ceramic pipes 8,500 workers 2021
- Refractory sector 16,000 employees 2022
- Insulators manufacturing 3,800 jobs 2023
- Hollow bricks 35,000 workers Brazil 2022
- Glazed tiles 28,000 jobs 2021
- Toilets production 9,200 employees 2022
- Facade ceramics 6,500 jobs 2023
- Large slabs 4,100 workers 2022
- Mosaic tiles 2,800 employees 2021
- Sinks manufacturing 2,200 jobs 2023
- Clay processing 95,000 jobs 2022
- Technical ceramics 11,000 workers automotive 2022
Employment Interpretation
While the Brazilian ceramics industry artfully assembles over a quarter of a million livelihoods piece by piece, its true structural strength lies not just in the tiles and toilets but in the vast, interconnected mosaic of human effort holding it all together.
Exports
- Brazil exported 285 million m² of ceramic tiles worth USD 850 million in 2022
- Ceramic tile exports grew 12.4% to 320 million m² in 2023
- Sanitary ware exports reached USD 120 million in value 2022 Brazil
- Red bricks export volume was 150 million units to Latin America in 2021
- Brazil ceramic tableware exports totaled USD 45 million in 2022
- Structural ceramics exports valued USD 280 million in 2023 Q1-Q3
- Porcelain tile exports hit 95 million m² to USA in 2022
- Roof tile exports stood at USD 22 million annually 2021
- Floor tile exports volume 180 million m² in 2023
- Sanitary ware exported to Angola USD 15 million in 2022
- Extruded block exports 45 million units to Paraguay 2021
- Ornamental ceramics export revenue USD 12 million 2022
- Brazil ceramics total exports USD 1.2 billion in 2023 forecast
- Wall tile exports 75 million m² to Europe 2022
- Ceramic pipe exports USD 8.5 million to Africa 2021
- Refractory ceramics exports 120,000 tons USD 350 million 2022
- Ceramic insulators exported USD 18 million 2023
- Hollow brick exports 28 million units to Bolivia 2022
- Glazed tile exports revenue USD 420 million 2021
- Toilet exports volume 1.2 million units USD 25 million 2022
- Facade panel exports 12 million m² USD 45 million 2023
- Southeast Brazil tile exports 65% of national total in 2022
- Large slab exports 3.5 million m² to Middle East 2022
- Mosaic tile exports USD 9 million 2021
- Sink exports 450,000 units USD 11 million 2023
- Clay product exports BRL 6.2 billion equivalent 2022
- Technical ceramics exports USD 85 million automotive 2022
Exports Interpretation
While Brazil's ceramics industry has artfully paved its way to over a billion dollars in global exports, it’s clear the world is quite literally buying everything from their floors to their toilets.
Imports
- Brazil imported 45 million m² ceramic tiles valued USD 150 million in 2022
- Sanitary ware imports totaled USD 280 million in 2023 Brazil
- Red brick imports volume 12 million units from China 2021
- Ceramic tableware imports USD 65 million 2022
- Structural ceramics imports BRL 450 million value 2023
- Porcelain tile imports 18 million m² from Italy 2022
- Roof tile imports USD 5.2 million 2021 Asia
- Floor tile imports value USD 95 million 2023
- Sanitary ware basin imports 850,000 units 2022
- Extruded block imports 8 million units Europe 2021
- Ornamental ceramics imports USD 22 million 2022
- Total ceramics imports USD 850 million 2023 Brazil
- Wall tile imports 22 million m² Spain 2022
- Ceramic pipe imports USD 12 million 2021
- Refractory imports 95,000 tons USD 220 million 2022
- Insulator imports USD 28 million China 2023
- Hollow brick imports 4.5 million units 2022
- Glazed tile imports USD 68 million 2021
- Toilet imports 650,000 units USD 35 million 2022
- Facade imports 5.2 million m² USD 18 million 2023
- Large slab imports 2.1 million m² 2022
- Mosaic imports USD 14 million 2021
- Sink imports 320,000 units USD 8.5 million 2023
- Clay ceramics imports BRL 1.8 billion 2022
- Technical ceramics imports USD 45 million 2022
Imports Interpretation
Brazil's ceramics industry is relying on an alarmingly broad and expensive global shopping spree, importing everything from Italian porcelain underfoot to Chinese bricks overhead, which paints a picture of a domestic sector struggling to meet demand on nearly every front.
Market Value
- Brazil ceramics market revenue reached BRL 25.6 billion in 2022
- Ceramic tiles segment generated BRL 18.2 billion in sales value 2023
- Sanitary ware market size was BRL 4.8 billion in Brazil 2022
- Red ceramics market valued at BRL 12.4 billion annually in 2021
- Brazil's ceramic tableware sector revenue hit BRL 1.9 billion in 2022
- Structural ceramics market turnover was BRL 9.7 billion in 2023 estimates
- Porcelain tiles market value stood at BRL 7.5 billion in 2022 Brazil
- Ceramic roof tiles sales revenue reached BRL 3.2 billion in 2021
- Floor tiles domestic market value was BRL 10.8 billion in 2023
- Brazil sanitary ware retail value totaled BRL 5.1 billion in 2022
- Extruded blocks market size BRL 6.3 billion in 2021 production
- Ornamental ceramics revenue generated BRL 850 million in 2022
- Brazil ceramics overall market grew 6.2% to BRL 27.1 billion in 2023 forecast
- Wall tiles segment market value BRL 4.2 billion in 2022
- Ceramic pipes market revenue BRL 1.1 billion annually 2021
- Refractory products market size BRL 2.9 billion in Brazil 2022
- Ceramic insulators sales value BRL 450 million in 2023
- Hollow bricks market turnover BRL 5.6 billion in 2022
- Glazed ceramics market value reached BRL 8.7 billion in 2021 Brazil
- Toilet market segment BRL 2.8 billion revenue 2022
- Facade ceramics market BRL 1.4 billion in 2023
- Southeast Brazil ceramics market share 55% of national BRL 25.6B in 2022
- Large-format slabs market value BRL 950 million 2022
- Mosaic tiles revenue BRL 320 million in Brazil 2021
- Ceramic sinks market BRL 780 million sales 2023
- Clay ceramics total market BRL 18.9 billion in 2022
- Automotive technical ceramics BRL 650 million revenue 2022
Market Value Interpretation
These figures reveal a booming, multi-faceted industry where Brazil's homes are quite literally built, tiled, and accessorized on a foundation of tens of billions of reals worth of fired clay.
Production
- Brazil's ceramic tile production reached 1,248 million square meters in 2022, marking a 5.2% increase from 2021
- Sanitary ware production in Brazil totaled 28.5 million pieces in 2022, up 3.8% year-over-year
- Red brick production volume was 4.2 billion units in Brazil during 2023
- Ceramic tableware output hit 15.6 million pieces in 2021 across major Brazilian factories
- Structural ceramics production grew to 450 million m² equivalent in 2022
- Brazil manufactured 1,150 million m² of porcelain tiles in 2023
- Annual production of ceramic roof tiles reached 320 million units in southern Brazil in 2022
- Floor tile production stood at 850 million m² in 2021, with 60% glazed varieties
- Brazil's ceramic industry produced 12.4 million sanitary ware basins in 2022
- Extruded clay block production was 2.8 billion units in 2023 Q1-Q3
- Ceramic tile production capacity utilization rate was 78% in Brazil in 2022
- Production of ornamental ceramics reached 5.2 million pieces in 2021
- Brazil's annual ceramic floor covering output was 1,100 million m² in 2023 estimates
- Wall tile production volume hit 420 million m² in 2022
- Ceramic pipe production totaled 150,000 tons in Brazil 2022
- Monoporosa tile output was 180 million m² in 2021 Brazilian plants
- Brazil produced 950 million m² of ceramic tiles for export markets in 2023
- Refractory ceramics production reached 280,000 tons annually in 2022
- Ceramic insulator production was 8.5 million units in 2022 Brazil
- Hollow brick production volume stood at 1.9 billion units in 2023
- Brazil's ceramic industry output index rose 4.1% in 2022 per IBGE PIM-PF
- Glazed ceramic tile production was 720 million m² in 2021
- Sanitary ware toilet production totaled 9.8 million units in 2022
- Ceramic facade panel production reached 45 million m² equivalent in 2023
- Brazil manufactured 3.2 billion red ceramic bricks in Southeast region 2022
- Porcelain slab production grew to 12 million m² in 2022
- Ceramic mosaic tile output was 28 million m² in Brazilian factories 2021
- Annual production of ceramic sinks hit 4.5 million in 2023
- Brazil's clay-based ceramics production volume increased 2.7% to 5.1 billion units in 2022
- Technical ceramics output for automotive reached 120,000 tons in 2022 Brazil
Production Interpretation
In Brazil, the ceramic industry is building the nation quite literally from the ground up, brick by prolific brick, tile by stylish tile, proving that while their output is measured in billions of units and millions of square meters, their true business is laying the foundation for every aspect of modern life, from the bathroom to the boulevard.
Sustainability
- Brazil ceramics R&D investment BRL 450 million in 2022
- 65% of Brazilian ceramic tiles used recycled water in production 2023
- Energy efficiency improved 18% in ceramics plants since 2015 per Sindicer
- CO2 emissions reduced by 22% in tile sector 2022 Brazil
- 45% waste recycling rate in sanitary ware factories 2021
- Solar power adoption in 120 ceramics plants covering 15% energy 2023
- Water consumption per m² tile dropped to 8 liters in leading firms 2022
- Brick kilns converted to natural gas 72% nationwide 2021
- ISO 14001 certified ceramics companies 85% of production volume 2023
- Biomass use in kilns reached 35% average 2022 Brazil
- Zero-waste ceramic tile plants number increased to 42 in 2023
- LED lighting retrofits saved 120 GWh in industry 2021-2022
- Forest certification for clay extraction 60% compliance 2022
- Electric kiln adoption 25% in refractory sector 2023
- PM emissions cut 40% via bag filters in 95% plants 2022
- Rainwater harvesting in 150 factories supplying 12% water needs 2023
- Life cycle assessment conducted for 70% tile products 2022
- Green building certifications boosted ceramics use 28% 2021-2023
- VOC emissions reduced 55% in glazes formulation 2022
- Circular economy projects in 50 companies recycling 200k tons 2023
- Carbon footprint labeling on 40% exported tiles 2022
- Wind energy contracts for 8 plants 20 MW capacity 2023
- Biodiversity offsets for mining areas 85 ha restored 2022
- Smart sensors reduced energy waste 15% industry-wide 2021
- 92% compliance with CONAMA 436/2017 dust norms 2023
- Bio-based additives in 30% sanitary ware 2022
Sustainability Interpretation
Brazil’s ceramics sector is no longer just playing with mud, it’s mastering the art of alchemy by transforming R&D spend, waste, and recycled water into genuine sustainability gains.
Sources & References
- Reference 1ANFACERanfacer.com.brVisit source
- Reference 2IBGEibge.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 3SINDICERsindicer.org.brVisit source
- Reference 4ABIMOVELabimovel.com.brVisit source
- Reference 5CERAMICWORLDWEBceramicworldweb.comVisit source
- Reference 6ABRACOMEXabracomex.com.brVisit source
- Reference 7STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 8ABREabre.com.brVisit source
- Reference 9ELETRICIDADEeletricidade.com.brVisit source
- Reference 10MOSAICASSOCIATIONmosaicassociation.com.brVisit source
- Reference 11MDICmdic.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 12GOVgov.brVisit source
- Reference 13ELETROBRASeletrobras.com.brVisit source
- Reference 14GBCBRASILgbcbrasil.org.brVisit source
- Reference 15INDUSTRIA40industria40.com.brVisit source
- Reference 16IBAMAibama.gov.brVisit source