Brazil exported 285 million m² of ceramic tiles in 2022 worth USD 850 million, showing how fast demand is translating into output. In the same period, the sector maintained a direct workforce of 250,000 workers in 2022. Employment is split across categories, from porcelain tile plants employing 32,000 people in 2022 to ornamental ceramics supporting 4,200 jobs in 2021.
Key Takeaways
- 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 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 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'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’s ceramic industry remained a major jobs engine and export winner in 2022 to 2023.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment26 stats
01
Brazil ceramics industry employed 250,000 direct workers in 2022
02
Ceramic tile sector jobs totaled 85,000 in 2023 Brazil
03
Sanitary ware manufacturing employed 28,000 people 2022
04
Red ceramics workforce 120,000 direct jobs in 2021
05
Tableware ceramics employed 12,500 workers 2022
06
Structural ceramics jobs 45,000 in Brazil 2023
07
Porcelain tile plants employed 32,000 in 2022 Southeast
08
Roof tile sector 18,000 jobs 2021
09
Floor tile manufacturing 52,000 employees 2023
10
Sanitary ware indirect jobs 65,000 total 2022
11
Extruded blocks 22,000 workers 2021
12
Ornamental ceramics 4,200 jobs 2022
13
Total industry formal jobs 220,000 per RAIS 2022
14
Wall tile employment 15,000 in 2022
15
Ceramic pipes 8,500 workers 2021
16
Refractory sector 16,000 employees 2022
17
Insulators manufacturing 3,800 jobs 2023
18
Hollow bricks 35,000 workers Brazil 2022
19
Glazed tiles 28,000 jobs 2021
20
Toilets production 9,200 employees 2022
21
Facade ceramics 6,500 jobs 2023
22
Large slabs 4,100 workers 2022
23
Mosaic tiles 2,800 employees 2021
24
Sinks manufacturing 2,200 jobs 2023
25
Clay processing 95,000 jobs 2022
26
Technical ceramics 11,000 workers automotive 2022
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Exports27 stats
01
Brazil exported 285 million m² of ceramic tiles worth USD 850 million in 2022
02
Ceramic tile exports grew 12.4% to 320 million m² in 2023
03
Sanitary ware exports reached USD 120 million in value 2022 Brazil
04
Red bricks export volume was 150 million units to Latin America in 2021
05
Brazil ceramic tableware exports totaled USD 45 million in 2022
06
Structural ceramics exports valued USD 280 million in 2023 Q1-Q3
07
Porcelain tile exports hit 95 million m² to USA in 2022
08
Roof tile exports stood at USD 22 million annually 2021
09
Floor tile exports volume 180 million m² in 2023
10
Sanitary ware exported to Angola USD 15 million in 2022
11
Extruded block exports 45 million units to Paraguay 2021
12
Ornamental ceramics export revenue USD 12 million 2022
13
Brazil ceramics total exports USD 1.2 billion in 2023 forecast
14
Wall tile exports 75 million m² to Europe 2022
15
Ceramic pipe exports USD 8.5 million to Africa 2021
16
Refractory ceramics exports 120,000 tons USD 350 million 2022
17
Ceramic insulators exported USD 18 million 2023
18
Hollow brick exports 28 million units to Bolivia 2022
19
Glazed tile exports revenue USD 420 million 2021
20
Toilet exports volume 1.2 million units USD 25 million 2022
21
Facade panel exports 12 million m² USD 45 million 2023
22
Southeast Brazil tile exports 65% of national total in 2022
23
Large slab exports 3.5 million m² to Middle East 2022
24
Mosaic tile exports USD 9 million 2021
25
Sink exports 450,000 units USD 11 million 2023
26
Clay product exports BRL 6.2 billion equivalent 2022
27
Technical ceramics exports USD 85 million automotive 2022
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Imports25 stats
01
Brazil imported 45 million m² ceramic tiles valued USD 150 million in 2022
02
Sanitary ware imports totaled USD 280 million in 2023 Brazil
03
Red brick imports volume 12 million units from China 2021
04
Ceramic tableware imports USD 65 million 2022
05
Structural ceramics imports BRL 450 million value 2023
06
Porcelain tile imports 18 million m² from Italy 2022
07
Roof tile imports USD 5.2 million 2021 Asia
08
Floor tile imports value USD 95 million 2023
09
Sanitary ware basin imports 850,000 units 2022
10
Extruded block imports 8 million units Europe 2021
11
Ornamental ceramics imports USD 22 million 2022
12
Total ceramics imports USD 850 million 2023 Brazil
13
Wall tile imports 22 million m² Spain 2022
14
Ceramic pipe imports USD 12 million 2021
15
Refractory imports 95,000 tons USD 220 million 2022
16
Insulator imports USD 28 million China 2023
17
Hollow brick imports 4.5 million units 2022
18
Glazed tile imports USD 68 million 2021
19
Toilet imports 650,000 units USD 35 million 2022
20
Facade imports 5.2 million m² USD 18 million 2023
21
Large slab imports 2.1 million m² 2022
22
Mosaic imports USD 14 million 2021
23
Sink imports 320,000 units USD 8.5 million 2023
24
Clay ceramics imports BRL 1.8 billion 2022
25
Technical ceramics imports USD 45 million 2022
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Value27 stats
01
Brazil ceramics market revenue reached BRL 25.6 billion in 2022
02
Ceramic tiles segment generated BRL 18.2 billion in sales value 2023
03
Sanitary ware market size was BRL 4.8 billion in Brazil 2022
04
Red ceramics market valued at BRL 12.4 billion annually in 2021
05
Brazil's ceramic tableware sector revenue hit BRL 1.9 billion in 2022
06
Structural ceramics market turnover was BRL 9.7 billion in 2023 estimates
07
Porcelain tiles market value stood at BRL 7.5 billion in 2022 Brazil
08
Ceramic roof tiles sales revenue reached BRL 3.2 billion in 2021
09
Floor tiles domestic market value was BRL 10.8 billion in 2023
10
Brazil sanitary ware retail value totaled BRL 5.1 billion in 2022
11
Extruded blocks market size BRL 6.3 billion in 2021 production
12
Ornamental ceramics revenue generated BRL 850 million in 2022
13
Brazil ceramics overall market grew 6.2% to BRL 27.1 billion in 2023 forecast
14
Wall tiles segment market value BRL 4.2 billion in 2022
15
Ceramic pipes market revenue BRL 1.1 billion annually 2021
16
Refractory products market size BRL 2.9 billion in Brazil 2022
17
Ceramic insulators sales value BRL 450 million in 2023
18
Hollow bricks market turnover BRL 5.6 billion in 2022
19
Glazed ceramics market value reached BRL 8.7 billion in 2021 Brazil
20
Toilet market segment BRL 2.8 billion revenue 2022
21
Facade ceramics market BRL 1.4 billion in 2023
22
Southeast Brazil ceramics market share 55% of national BRL 25.6B in 2022
23
Large-format slabs market value BRL 950 million 2022
24
Mosaic tiles revenue BRL 320 million in Brazil 2021
25
Ceramic sinks market BRL 780 million sales 2023
26
Clay ceramics total market BRL 18.9 billion in 2022
27
Automotive technical ceramics BRL 650 million revenue 2022
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Production30 stats
01
Brazil's ceramic tile production reached 1,248 million square meters in 2022, marking a 5.2% increase from 2021
02
Sanitary ware production in Brazil totaled 28.5 million pieces in 2022, up 3.8% year-over-year
03
Red brick production volume was 4.2 billion units in Brazil during 2023
04
Ceramic tableware output hit 15.6 million pieces in 2021 across major Brazilian factories
05
Structural ceramics production grew to 450 million m² equivalent in 2022
06
Brazil manufactured 1,150 million m² of porcelain tiles in 2023
07
Annual production of ceramic roof tiles reached 320 million units in southern Brazil in 2022
08
Floor tile production stood at 850 million m² in 2021, with 60% glazed varieties
09
Brazil's ceramic industry produced 12.4 million sanitary ware basins in 2022
10
Extruded clay block production was 2.8 billion units in 2023 Q1-Q3
11
Ceramic tile production capacity utilization rate was 78% in Brazil in 2022
12
Production of ornamental ceramics reached 5.2 million pieces in 2021
13
Brazil's annual ceramic floor covering output was 1,100 million m² in 2023 estimates
14
Wall tile production volume hit 420 million m² in 2022
15
Ceramic pipe production totaled 150,000 tons in Brazil 2022
16
Monoporosa tile output was 180 million m² in 2021 Brazilian plants
17
Brazil produced 950 million m² of ceramic tiles for export markets in 2023
18
Refractory ceramics production reached 280,000 tons annually in 2022
19
Ceramic insulator production was 8.5 million units in 2022 Brazil
20
Hollow brick production volume stood at 1.9 billion units in 2023
21
Brazil's ceramic industry output index rose 4.1% in 2022 per IBGE PIM-PF
22
Glazed ceramic tile production was 720 million m² in 2021
23
Sanitary ware toilet production totaled 9.8 million units in 2022
24
Ceramic facade panel production reached 45 million m² equivalent in 2023
25
Brazil manufactured 3.2 billion red ceramic bricks in Southeast region 2022
26
Porcelain slab production grew to 12 million m² in 2022
27
Ceramic mosaic tile output was 28 million m² in Brazilian factories 2021
28
Annual production of ceramic sinks hit 4.5 million in 2023
29
Brazil's clay-based ceramics production volume increased 2.7% to 5.1 billion units in 2022
30
Technical ceramics output for automotive reached 120,000 tons in 2022 Brazil
Interpretation
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.
06 · Category
Sustainability26 stats
01
Brazil ceramics R&D investment BRL 450 million in 2022
02
65% of Brazilian ceramic tiles used recycled water in production 2023
03
Energy efficiency improved 18% in ceramics plants since 2015 per Sindicer
04
CO2 emissions reduced by 22% in tile sector 2022 Brazil
05
45% waste recycling rate in sanitary ware factories 2021
06
Solar power adoption in 120 ceramics plants covering 15% energy 2023
07
Water consumption per m² tile dropped to 8 liters in leading firms 2022
08
Brick kilns converted to natural gas 72% nationwide 2021
09
ISO 14001 certified ceramics companies 85% of production volume 2023
10
Biomass use in kilns reached 35% average 2022 Brazil
11
Zero-waste ceramic tile plants number increased to 42 in 2023
12
LED lighting retrofits saved 120 GWh in industry 2021-2022
13
Forest certification for clay extraction 60% compliance 2022
14
Electric kiln adoption 25% in refractory sector 2023
15
PM emissions cut 40% via bag filters in 95% plants 2022
16
Rainwater harvesting in 150 factories supplying 12% water needs 2023
17
Life cycle assessment conducted for 70% tile products 2022
18
Green building certifications boosted ceramics use 28% 2021-2023
19
VOC emissions reduced 55% in glazes formulation 2022
20
Circular economy projects in 50 companies recycling 200k tons 2023
21
Carbon footprint labeling on 40% exported tiles 2022
22
Wind energy contracts for 8 plants 20 MW capacity 2023
23
Biodiversity offsets for mining areas 85 ha restored 2022
24
Smart sensors reduced energy waste 15% industry-wide 2021
25
92% compliance with CONAMA 436/2017 dust norms 2023
26
Bio-based additives in 30% sanitary ware 2022
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Brazil Ceramics Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brazil-ceramics-industry-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Brazil Ceramics Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/brazil-ceramics-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Brazil Ceramics Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brazil-ceramics-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
16 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level