Gitnux/Report 2026

Brick Manufacturing Industry Statistics

The global bricks market reached $1.78T in 2026, explore the figures behind growth, major producers, and trends shaping throughput and kiln energy demand.
199Statistics
64Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
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Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The brick manufacturing industry at a glance

The global bricks market was estimated at $1.78 trillion in 2026, with Asia-Pacific accounting for 47.77% in 2025 as construction demand, regional manufacturing and lower-carbon products shape the industry.

$1.78T[49]
Global market size, 2026
2.74%[49]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2031
47.77%[50]
Asia-Pacific share, 2025
4.1M tonnes[51]
Italian production, 2024
Market size
The global bricks market was estimated at $1.78 trillion in 2026, up from $1.73 trillion in 2025. A separate clay-brick estimate placed the global clay-brick market at $65.6 billion in 2024, illustrating the difference between broad brick-market definitions and clay-only coverage.[49]
Forecast & CAGR
The broad global bricks market is forecast to reach $2.03 trillion by 2031 at a 2.74% CAGR from 2026 to 2031. The clay-brick market is forecast to reach $76.4 billion by 2030 at a 2.6% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.[49]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific held 47.77% of the global concrete blocks and bricks market in 2025, with a reported market value of $212.12 billion. In the United Kingdom, domestic brick production was 1.331 billion bricks in 2024, while imports reached 316 million bricks.[50][52]
Segmentation
The market is segmented by brick type, including clay, sand-lime, fly-ash clay, concrete, calcium-silicate and engineering bricks; by application, including buildings, paths and landscaping; and by end use, including residential and non-residential construction. Clay bricks accounted for 64.35% of market revenue in 2025 in one global market estimate.[49][53]
Key players & concentration
Major companies identified in global market coverage include Wienerberger, Forterra, Brickworks, CEMEX, CRH, Heidelberg Materials, Saint-Gobain and General Shale. The European Commission describes the broader EU ceramics industry as being made up mainly of small and medium-sized enterprises, while global brick manufacturing also includes large multinational building-materials groups.[49][54]
Pricing
Public company reporting indicates that pricing remains competitive in the UK brick market. Brickability Group reported £426.1 million of 2025 revenue in its bricks and building-materials division and described the 2025 pricing environment as competitive.[55]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is driven by residential construction, infrastructure, urbanisation and renovation, while manufacturers are investing in automation, energy efficiency and lower-carbon products. Key challenges include high kiln-energy costs, weaker housing activity in parts of Europe, emissions compliance and competition from concrete blocks and alternative construction systems; Forterra reported UK brick consumption of approximately 1.8 billion bricks in 2025, almost 30% below the 2022 level.[54]
Consumer behavior & competition
Brick demand is closely linked to local housing and construction cycles because bricks are heavy, relatively low-value products that generally serve local or regional markets. In the UK, imports represented just under 20% of the brick market in recent years, while domestic consumption remained well below its 2022 peak in 2025.[54]
M&A
Recent transaction activity includes CarbonBuilt’s acquisition of Jolley Concrete and Block in February 2025, supporting a strategy of developing lower-carbon masonry and concrete manufacturing capacity. Broader building-materials consolidation also includes Wienerberger’s acquisition of Terreal, completed in 2024, expanding its European building-products portfolio.[56][14]
Regulation
In the United States, brick and structural clay-product facilities are covered by EPA NESHAP Subpart JJJJJ, which regulates mercury, particulate matter, metals and acid gases from tunnel and periodic kilns. In the EU, brick manufacturing falls within the ceramics sector covered by industrial-emissions, emissions-trading and REACH-related requirements.[57][54]
Latest news
The latest available industry indicators show mixed conditions: UK brick consumption recovered to approximately 1.8 billion bricks in 2025 but remained almost 30% below 2022, while Brickability reported a return to growth in total UK brick-market volumes and £426.1 million of 2025 bricks and building-materials revenue. Italy reported 2024 brick-sector turnover of €700 million and production of 4.1 million tonnes.[55][51]

02 Ranking

Top 9 Companies in the Brick Manufacturing Industry

The leading companies in the brick manufacturing industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

CRH stands out for concrete masonry and hardscape products because its APG is North America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of concrete masonry products, while Wienerberger focuses on clay bricks because it describes itself as the world’s largest producer of bricks.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in brick & block manufacturing

    CRH

    IE

    Ranked #1 · 9.8 · Brick & block manufacturing

    Why we picked it: It reports revenue growth of 5.3% and an operating margin of 14.5%.

    See in ranking ↓Visit crh.com ↗

  2. Leader in clay bricks

    Wienerberger

    AT

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Clay bricks

    Why we picked it: It describes itself as the world’s largest producer of bricks.

    See in ranking ↓Visit wienerberger.com ↗

  3. Leader in facing bricks & pavers

    Vandersanden

    BE

    Ranked #4 · 8.3 · Facing bricks & pavers

    Why we picked it: Its focus is facing bricks and clay pavers for European markets.

    See in ranking ↓Visit vandersanden.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 9 companies in the brick manufacturing industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

CRH

Brick & block manufacturing · IE

9.8
2

Wienerberger

Clay bricks · AT

8.9
3

Forterra

Brick & block manufacturing · GB

8.6
4

Vandersanden

Facing bricks & pavers · BE

8.3
5

Michelmersh Brick Holdings

Clay bricks · GB

8.0
6

Ibstock

Clay bricks · GB

8.0
7

The Belden Brick Company

Clay bricks · US

7.9
8

Endicott Clay Products

Clay bricks · US

7.9
9

Brickworks

Clay bricks · AU

7.4

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 9 companies in the brick manufacturing industry. In Brick Manufacturing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brick-manufacturing-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest brick manufacturing companies

CRH leads with $37.4B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

CRH$37.4B
Wienerberger$4.9B
Brickworks$705M
Forterra$490M
Ibstock$472M
Michelmersh Brick Holdings$87M
source-verifiedcrh.com · wienerberger.com · investors.brickworks.com.au · forterra.cdn.cloud-infra.co.uk · ibstock.co.uk · financialfilings.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology spending shows up as kiln and plant upgrades, including Brickworks’ upgraded Plant 2 capacity of 130 million bricks per year in FY2024 and reported energy and greenhouse-gas intensity improvements.

Automation in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 130 million bricks per year is the manufacturing capacity of Brickworks’ upgraded Plant 2 in Australia, described as its most advanced brick plant, in FY2024.[1]
  • 57% was the improvement in energy intensity at Brickworks’ upgraded Plant 2 compared with its FY2018 performance in Australia.[1]
  • 40% was the improvement in greenhouse-gas intensity at Brickworks’ upgraded Plant 2 compared with its FY2018 performance in Australia.[1]

Digital Transformation in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 57% identified moving to SAP S/4HANA as a top focus area in 2025.[2]
  • Among EII businesses, 68% reported adopting AI in 2024, with an estimated 10% productivity increase.[3]
  • Across European chemical subindustries, 65% of companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity that would significantly impact their activities in 2024.[3]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 46% ranked automation among their leading technology focus areas in 2025.[2]

Technology Adoption in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 53% had implemented AI for real-time process control and optimization in 2025.[4]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 45% had implemented AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.[4]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for quality inspection or defect detection in 2025.[4]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for production planning and scheduling in 2025.[4]

Cloud Computing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 52% reported increased productivity from cloud computing in 2024, while 46% reported no change.[3]
  • Among EII businesses, 2% reported decreased productivity from cloud computing in 2024.[3]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, 15% planned to migrate to cloud computing in coming years in 2023.[5]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, more than 35% had at least partially migrated to cloud computing in 2023.[5]

Big Data in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 49% cited gaining actionable insights from data and analytics as a current challenge in 2025.[2]
  • Among EII businesses, 48% reported increased productivity from big data in 2024.[3]
  • Among EII businesses, 6% reported decreased productivity from big data in 2024.[3]
  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported no productivity change from big data in 2024.[3]

IoT in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported increased productivity from IoT in 2024.[3]
  • Across European countries, 29% of firms used IoT on average in 2021.[6]
  • Among EII businesses, 56% reported no productivity change from IoT in 2024.[3]
  • Across 23 European countries, close to one-third of manufacturing firms used IoT in 2021.[6]

Innovation in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 11% of Brickworks’ Australian energy mix came from alternative biofuels in FY2024.[1]
  • 21% of raw-material replacement in Brickworks’ Australian operations came from recycled content in FY2024.[1]
  • $22.6 million is the planned investment by Brickworks and partners through 2030 in research and development focused on brick and building-product innovation.[1]
  • 56% was Brickworks’ reduction in Australian carbon emissions compared with its FY2006 base year, reported in FY2024.[1]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data measurement and governance are recurring requirements, with 80% of manufacturers reporting a measured value for operational data in 2026 and 42% verifying manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026.

Data analytics in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 990 ± 125 petajoules per year was the estimated energy consumption of India’s brick industry in 2023.[7]
  • 25 ± 6 million tonnes per year of biomass was estimated to be consumed by India’s brick industry in 2023.[7]
  • 35 ± 6 million tonnes per year of coal was estimated to be consumed by India’s brick industry in 2023.[7]
  • 233 ± 15 billion bricks per year was the estimated production volume for India, based on a 2023 study reconciling energy-use data for the brick industry.[7]

Data Quality in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[8]
  • 49% of supply-management organizations rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024, based on an Institute for Supply Management survey.[9]
  • 89% of manufacturers said data use improved their decision-making processes in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[8]
  • 44% of companies in the manufacturing survey reported AI-project failures caused by poor data quality in 2025, across surveyed manufacturers.[10]
  • 42% of manufacturers had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026, while 51% did not.[8]
  • 67% of supply-management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[9]

Data Governance in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 67% of GCC chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[11]
  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[9]
  • 28% of manufacturers had a data-governance leader in 2026, across the Manufacturing Leadership Council survey.[8]
  • 46% of GCC chemical companies had established common data standards with collaboration partners in 2022.[11]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[9]
  • 52% of global chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[11]

KPIs in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 46% was the decrease in Brickworks’ Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions against its 2005–06 base year, according to the Australian industry sustainability snapshot.[12]
  • 32% is Forterra’s target reduction in carbon-emissions intensity against its 2019 baseline in the United Kingdom.[13]
  • 40% was the reduction in Brickworks’ emissions between 1990 and 2020, from 2.9 million to 1.74 million tonnes of CO₂ per year.[12]
  • 50% is Forterra’s target reduction in plastic-packaging consumption over the subsequent few years under its sustainability strategy.[13]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Energy transition and emissions targets drive site programs, including wienerberger’s reported 75% CO2 emissions reduction after replacing a gas kiln with an electric kiln at its Uttendorf brick plant.

Growth in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 35% was wienerberger’s target share of revenue from innovative products by 2026.[14]
  • 75% was the reported reduction in CO2 emissions at wienerberger’s Uttendorf brick plant after replacing its gas kiln with an electric kiln.[15]
  • 33% of wienerberger’s revenue came from innovative products in 2024.[14]
  • 6% was wienerberger’s revenue growth in 2024, lifting revenue to €4.5 billion.[14]

Differentiation in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 33% of wienerberger’s 2024 revenue was generated by innovative products.[14]
  • 200 production sites manufactured wienerberger’s roof tiles, backing bricks, facing bricks and paving solutions in 2025.[15]
  • 1 world-leading electric industrial kiln was installed at wienerberger’s modernized Uttendorf brick plant in Austria.[14]
  • 1 global market-leader position was reported by wienerberger for its backing-brick segment in 2025.[15]

Mergers and acquisitions in the brick manufacturing industry

  • €49.5 million was Brickworks’ approximate 2019 acquisition cost for Sioux City Brick & Tile Company.[16]
  • €64.2 million was Brickworks’ approximate 2021 purchase price for Illinois Brick Company, a U.S. brick distributor.[16]
  • 4 innovative companies were combined into wienerberger’s Wioniq platform in 2024.[14]
  • €70.1 million was Brickworks’ maximum reported purchase price for Redland Brick in 2020.[16]

Strategic partnerships in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 3 parties owned Southern Cross Cement, a joint venture involving Brickworks, the Neilsen Group and the Neumann Group in Australia.[17]
  • 4 companies formed wienerberger’s Wioniq platform for smart water and energy-management solutions in 2024.[14]
  • 1 external partner network was developed for wienerberger’s ReviBrick recycled-brick offering by 2025.[18]
  • 5 stakeholder categories were engaged by wienerberger when developing its sustainability program, including customers and partners.[14]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce stability and engagement trends remain measurable, including Brickworks’ 8 years average employee tenure in FY2023 and engagement rates across managers and non-managers in 2025.

Employee retention in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 41% of Brickworks employees had been employed for at least 8 years in FY2023.[19]
  • 8 years was Brickworks’ average employee tenure in FY2023 globally.[19]

Remote Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 25% preferred mostly remote work in 2025.[20]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[21]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 25% worked exclusively remotely in August 2026.[22]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 8% preferred fully remote work in 2025.[20]

Hybrid Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred a hybrid work arrangement in November 2025.[22]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[21]
  • U.S. hybrid employees spent an average of 46% of their workweek on-site in 2026.[22]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[22]
  • Across U.S. hybrid employees, 48% said their team had not discussed a formal or informal collaboration plan in 2026.[22]

Employee Engagement in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across employees in the United States and Canada, 31% were engaged at work in 2025.[22]
  • Among global managers, 22% were engaged at work in 2025, compared with 19% of non-managers.[22]
  • Across employees in the United States, 32% were engaged at work in 2025.[22]
  • Across best-practice organizations recognized by Gallup, 70% of employees were engaged in 2025.[22]
  • Across employees worldwide, 20% were engaged at work in 2025.[22]

Change Management in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across organizations surveyed globally, 60% said they were succeeding at business outcomes during times of change in 2024.[23]
  • Across leaders in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, change management was associated with a reported 4:1 return on investment in 2026.[24]
  • Across leaders in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, 73% reported employee change fatigue in 2026.[24]
  • Across organizations surveyed globally, 56% said they were succeeding at business outcomes during times of change in 2023.[23]
  • Across organizations surveyed globally, 46% said they were succeeding at business outcomes during times of change in 2022.[23]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Distribution breadth is documented in product color and dealer counts, including 60 brick colors and 70 dealers for Hebron Brick Company when reported in 2026.

Customer experience in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 60 brick colors were produced by Hebron Brick Company at its North Dakota plant when reported in 2026.[25]
  • 70 dealers formed Hebron Brick Company’s distribution network across North America when reported in 2026.[25]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Digital activity is quantified in conversion and session lift, including a 126.96% increase in Brick Industry Association website sessions after four months of a digital campaign in the United States.

Digital marketing in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 404.18% was the increase in key events, or conversions, for the Brick Industry Association after four months of digital marketing.[26]
  • 91.83% was the increase in total users for Cherokee Brick after launching a targeted display advertising campaign.[26]
  • 981.57% was the increase in new website users for the Brick Industry Association after four months of digital marketing.[26]
  • 50 million unique impressions were generated for the Brick Industry Association in the first quarter of its digital campaign.[26]
  • 126.96% was the increase in Brick Industry Association website sessions after four months of a digital campaign in the United States.[26]

Branding in the brick manufacturing industry

  • Nearly 25% of England’s existing housing stock was originally built with Fletton bricks sold under Forterra’s London Brick brand.[27]
  • 100 variations of brick colors, finishes, sizes and shapes are supplied by Cherokee Brick from its two Georgia and Mississippi manufacturing plants.[26]

Influencer Marketing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across B2B companies, 29% of marketers planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in a March 2025 Ipsos survey.[28]
  • In U.S. manufacturing, 19% of marketers used influencer marketing among paid channels in the prior 12 months, according to a 2025 industry benchmark.[29]
  • Across B2B companies, 56% of marketers identified social-media posts as the most effective influencer-program content type in a September 2024 U.S. survey.[30]
  • Across B2B companies, 43% of marketers reported outstanding results from influencer programs in the 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[31]
  • Across B2B companies, 81% of marketers had a dedicated influencer-marketing budget in a September 2024 U.S. survey of firms with at least 100 employees.[30]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational coverage and production assurance appear via certified systems and installed capacity, including Forterra’s 600 million bricks per year installed production capacity across eight factories.

Process optimization in the brick manufacturing industry

  • £48.5 million was invested in brick and block plants and machinery in the United Kingdom in 2018.[32]
  • 60% was the increase in annual brick sales reported after investment in computers and robotic manufacturing systems at Hebron Brick.[17]
  • 22.7 percentage points was the gross-margin improvement, from 14% to 36.7%, after lean manufacturing improvements in a brick-production case study.[33]
  • £154 million was invested cumulatively in brick and block plants and machinery over the three years to 2018.[32]

Operational efficiency in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 600 million bricks per year is Forterra’s installed production capacity across eight factories in seven United Kingdom locations.[27]
  • 18.5% was Forterra’s adjusted EBITDA margin after overhead allocations for its Bricks and Blocks segment in 2025.[27]

Quality management in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 97% of United Kingdom brick and block production was covered by a certified Quality Management System in 2018.[32]
  • 99% of United Kingdom brick and block production was covered by the BES 6001 responsible-sourcing framework in 2018.[32]
  • 92.1% of surveyed small-scale masonry-brick producers in Gauteng agreed that raw-material inspections were conducted.[34]
  • 80.1% of surveyed small-scale masonry-brick producers in Gauteng strongly agreed that they generated high-quality masonry bricks.[34]

Supply chain in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 43% of North American brick manufacturing costs were represented by labor costs in the cited industry comparison.[35]
  • 20% of United Kingdom brick consumption was supplied by imports in 2025.[27]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents were actively pushing onshoring projects in 2025.[36]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 43% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers and achieved some success in 2025.[36]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 34.1% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing cited labour-cost reduction as a motivation during 2021–2023.[37]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 72.8% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023.[37]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers but reported no success in 2025.[36]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Profit and cost benchmarks are tied to margins and segment results, including Forterra’s adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.5% for its Bricks and Blocks segment in 2025.

Cost reduction in the brick manufacturing industry

  • $12 per ton was the common-clay price reported for brick manufacturing in the United States from 2008 through 2013.[38]
  • 70% of brick and structural clay product value was associated with labor and capital earnings in the United States in 2013.[38]
  • 57% was the reduction in cost per click achieved for Fundraising Brick after a paid-search strategy change.[39]
  • 44% was the reduction in Meta advertising spend achieved by Light My Bricks while maintaining conversion value.[40]

Profitability in the brick manufacturing industry

  • £56.9 million was Forterra’s adjusted EBITDA for its Bricks and Blocks segment in 2025.[27]
  • 36.7% was the gross margin achieved after lean-manufacturing improvements in a brick-production case study.[33]
  • 26.5% was Forterra’s 2025 adjusted EBITDA margin before overhead allocations for its Bricks and Blocks segment.[27]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product impact and service life references show long-horizon planning, including 100 years as the minimum expected service life reported for wienerberger brick products in its 2024 sustainability statement.

Product development in the brick manufacturing industry

  • £95 million was invested in Forterra’s Desford brick factory, which began production in 2023 as part of the company’s manufacturing modernization programme in the United Kingdom.[13]
  • 200 production sites in 24 countries supported wienerberger’s development and manufacture of brick, roof-tile and paving solutions in 2025.[15]
  • 75% lower CO₂ emissions were achieved at wienerberger’s Uttendorf plant after replacing a gas kiln with an industrial electric kiln for backing-brick production in 2024.[14]

Product lifecycle in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 150 years is the typical service life cited for clay brick in the United Kingdom, substantially exceeding the 60-year reference period commonly used in building life-cycle assessments.[32]
  • 100 years is the minimum expected service life reported for wienerberger brick products in its 2024 sustainability statement covering European operations.[15]
  • 90% of the 220.973 kilograms of CO₂ per tonne in the reported UK clay-brick life cycle arose from raw materials and production in the 2020 sustainability report.[32]

After-sales in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 100 years is the colourfastness and durability warranty offered on Brickworks clay bricks in Australia.[1]
  • 5% of Forterra employees were targeted for participation in “earn and learn” positions as part of the company’s workforce and customer-support strategy in the United Kingdom.[13]

Value proposition in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 373,000 houses were roofed and 112,000 houses were built using wienerberger products in 2025, demonstrating the company’s building-envelope value proposition across Europe.[15]
  • 40 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per square metre was the reported whole-of-life cradle-to-grave impact for an average Australian clay-brick wall in the industry snapshot.[12]
  • 150 years or more of service is cited by the Brick Development Association as a durability advantage supporting clay brick’s long-term construction value proposition.[32]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Decarbonization claims are tracked through scope and intensity changes, including Brickworks’ 1.74 million tonnes of CO2 per year emissions in 2020 down from 2.9 million in 1990.

Sustainability in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 26 kilograms of CO₂ per square metre of brickwork was the average carbon-emissions figure calculated for UK clay-brick member companies in 2022.[12]
  • 16,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity were generated annually by two wind turbines at wienerberger’s Beerse brick plant in Belgium.[15]
  • 6% of materials used in UK brick production were from alternative, recycled or secondary sources in the 2020 sustainability report.[32]
  • 347 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year was the expected emissions reduction from the 377-kilowatt solar installation at PGH’s Cecil Park facility in Australia.[12]

ESG in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 1.74 million tonnes of CO₂ per year were emitted by Brickworks in 2020, down from 2.9 million tonnes in 1990, according to the Australian industry snapshot.[12]
  • 4.6 million tonnes was the reported annual output of Europe’s refractory sector in the 2025 study of circular-economy strategies in European brick supply chains.[41]
  • 18,000 jobs were supported by Europe’s refractory sector, which is part of the broader ceramic and brick manufacturing value chain, according to a 2025 circular-economy study.[41]
  • 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ per year was the baseline for the British Ceramics “Towards Net Zero” roadmap covering UK ceramics, including brick manufacturing.[12]

CSR in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 100% of reported UK brick production was covered by BES 6001 responsible-sourcing certification in the 2020 sustainability report.[32]
  • 1% or less of the tonnage of quarried materials was attributed to material extraction for UK brick production in the Brick Development Association’s 2023 reuse guide.[32]
  • 150 years was the minimum service life cited in the UK brick-industry guidance linking durable construction materials with reduced long-term resource demand.[32]

Circular economy in the brick manufacturing industry

  • −7% of the reported clay-brick lifecycle carbon balance was attributed to reuse and recycling, equivalent to −16.0 kilograms of CO₂ per tonne.[32]
  • 6% of waste materials were reported as being recycled into brick production in a 2024 review of circular-economy practices in the brick sector.[7]
  • 150 years or more is the service life cited for clay bricks in UK guidance supporting reuse, refurbishment and recycling at building end of life.[32]
  • 6% of alternative, recycled and secondary materials were used in UK brick production in the 2020 Brick Development Association sustainability report.[32]

Carbon footprint in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 0.24 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of fired clay brick was the calculated global weighted-average greenhouse-gas intensity for production in 2020.[42]
  • 0.20 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram was the Australian clay-brick industry’s average cradle-to-gate impact based on 2008 member-product data.[12]
  • 1.1 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year was the estimated global emissions total for the fired-clay brick industry in the cited global assessment.[43]
  • 0.23 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram was the Australian industry’s average whole-of-life cradle-to-grave impact based on 2008 member-product data.[12]
  • 127 million tonnes of CO₂ per year were estimated from manufacturing 330 billion bricks across South Asia in 2014.[43]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Geographic footprint is tracked via countries and production sites, including wienerberger operating across 28 countries in 2025 with over 200 production sites in its international network.

Globalization in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 20,000-plus employees worked for wienerberger globally in 2025.[15]
  • €4.513 billion was wienerberger’s consolidated revenue in 2024.[35]
  • Over 200 production sites were operated by wienerberger across its international network in 2025.[15]
  • 28 countries contained wienerberger production or operating activities in 2025.[15]

Cultural adaptation in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 2,703 employees were located in wienerberger’s North American region in 2025.[14]
  • 13 countries were separately identified in wienerberger’s 2024 revenue-by-country disclosure, alongside an ‘other countries’ category.[35]
  • More than 90 nationalities were represented among wienerberger employees in 2024, supporting operations across its multicultural workforce.[15]
  • 3 operating regions—Europe West, Europe East and North America—were used in wienerberger’s 2025 reporting structure.[14]

Supplier management in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 1 employee in each country organization was wienerberger’s objective for supplier-audit certification.[14]
  • 1 supplier code of conduct and 1 externally validated sustainability rating were required for full ESG supplier compliance at wienerberger.[14]
  • 2020 was the launch year of wienerberger’s Responsible Sourcing Policy 2020+ for managing supplier ESG risks.[14]
  • 2 supplier tiers were addressed by wienerberger’s responsible-sourcing approach, directly covering tier 1 and encouraging tier 2 participation.[14]

Stakeholder management in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 1 group-wide sustainability program covering 2023–2026 was used by wienerberger to steer sustainability engagement and performance.[14]
  • 3 sustainability priorities—decarbonization, circular economy and biodiversity—guided wienerberger’s 2024 stakeholder-facing strategy.[14]
  • 5 stakeholder groups—employees, customers, partners, investors, and decision-makers in research and politics—were involved in wienerberger’s sustainability-program development.[14]
  • 1 whistleblowing hotline was made available to wienerberger supply-chain workers for reporting suspected breaches.[14]

Distribution channels in the brick manufacturing industry

  • 26 company-operated distribution outlets were operated by Brickworks’ North American building-products business in fiscal 2025.[48]
  • 3 design studios supported Brickworks’ North American brick distribution network in fiscal 2025.[48]
  • 10 company-operated retail distribution outlets sold Glen-Gery bricks when Brickworks acquired the business in 2018.[16]

Key questions about the brick manufacturing industry

What is the 2026 market size for bricks?
The global bricks market was estimated at $1.78 trillion in 2026.
How fast is the bricks market expected to grow after 2026?
The broad global bricks market is forecast to reach $2.03 trillion by 2031 at a 2.74% CAGR from 2026 to 2031.
Which companies lead the brick manufacturing industry?
CRH stands out for concrete masonry and hardscape products because its APG is North America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of concrete masonry products, while Wienerberger focuses on clay bricks because it describes itself as the world’s largest producer of bricks.
What technology shifts show up in brick manufacturing?
Manufacturers are investing in automation, energy efficiency and lower-carbon products, while electric kilns move from pilot to scale.
How concentrated is the industry by company type?
The European Commission describes the broader EU ceramics industry as being made up mainly of small and medium-sized enterprises, while global brick manufacturing also includes large multinational building-materials groups.
Which regulatory areas affect brick production in the US and EU?
In the United States, brick and structural clay-product facilities are covered by EPA NESHAP Subpart JJJJJ, while in the EU brick manufacturing falls within industrial-emissions, emissions-trading and REACH-related requirements.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Brick Manufacturing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brick-manufacturing-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Brick Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/brick-manufacturing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Brick Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brick-manufacturing-industry-statistics.

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