Materials production underpins daily life, from construction and packaging to durable goods. This page links key material trends—like plastics and steel growth—with climate impacts from cement and broader industrial emissions. It also examines what happens to plastics when recycling stays limited, including mismanagement and incineration. Use the EU and U.S. indicators to connect demand, employment, and production conditions across regions.
Key Takeaways
- Global primary plastics production reached about 460.3 million tonnes in 2019.
- Global primary plastics production reached about 367.1 million tonnes in 2000.
- Global primary plastics production increased by about 25% between 2010 and 2019 (from ~280.4 Mt to ~460.3 Mt).
- Global CO2 emissions from cement production were about 1.5 billion tonnes in 2019 (direct process emissions plus fuel).
- Global CO2 emissions from cement production were about 2.8 billion tonnes in 2022.
- Cement industry accounts for about 7% of global CO2 emissions.
- In 2019, about 71% of plastic waste generated was not recycled.
- In 2019, about 9% of plastic waste was recycled.
- In 2019, about 12% of plastic waste was incinerated.
- In 2019, global primary plastic materials (virgin plastic) demand was about 368 Mt.
- In 2019, global plastic demand was about 460 Mt primary plastic (production).
- The value of the global chemicals market was about $4.0 trillion in 2022.
- The U.S. durable goods manufacturing shipments in 2023 were about $1.7 trillion (materials-intensive proxy).
- The U.S. manufacturing output index (materials-intensive industries) in 2023 averaged about 106.5 (index, 2017=100).
- Manufacturing employment in the EU27 was about 30.6 million in 2022.
Plastics and cement emissions are rising fast while most plastic waste still goes unrecycled worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Production & Trade30 stats
01
Global primary plastics production reached about 460.3 million tonnes in 2019.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastics-production-by-type.csv
02
Global primary plastics production reached about 367.1 million tonnes in 2000.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastics-production-by-type.csv
03
Global primary plastics production increased by about 25% between 2010 and 2019 (from ~280.4 Mt to ~460.3 Mt).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastics-production-by-type.csv
04
Global steel production was 1,874.5 million tonnes in 2023.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
05
Global crude steel production was 1,799.2 million tonnes in 2022.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
06
Global cement production was about 4.1 billion tonnes in 2018.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
07
Global cement production was about 4.5 billion tonnes in 2019.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
08
Global copper mine production was about 22.9 million tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/252750/global-copper-mine-production/
09
Global aluminum production was about 65.3 million tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/283457/aluminium-production-worldwide/
10
Global primary aluminum production in 2020 was about 64.3 million tonnes.https://www.statista.com/statistics/283457/aluminium-production-worldwide/
11
Global zinc mine production was about 13.6 million tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/253577/global-zinc-mine-production/
12
Global lead mine production was about 4.7 million tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/255790/global-lead-mine-production/
13
Global iron ore production was about 2.5 billion tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/273811/iron-ore-production-worldwide/
14
Global nickel mine production was about 2.2 million tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/253581/global-nickel-mine-production/
15
Global gold mine production was about 3,316 tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/274360/worldwide-gold-production/
16
Global silver mine production was about 26,600 tonnes in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/274366/worldwide-silver-production/
17
Global thermal coal production was about 7.2 billion tonnes in 2022 (context for materials supply chains).https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/coal-production-by-type
18
Global crude steel output by China was 1,019.2 million tonnes in 2023.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
19
China accounted for about 57% of global crude steel in 2023.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
20
Global cement production in 2022 was about 4.0 billion tonnes (IEA estimate for sector).https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
21
Global demand for cement (by volume) was about 4.1 billion tonnes in 2019.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
22
Global demand for cement is projected to reach about 5.2 billion tonnes by 2050 in baseline scenario.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
23
EU-27 cement production in 2022 was 236.6 million tonnes.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=File:Production_of_cement_in_the_EU,_2022.png
24
US steel mill products production was about 90.4 million net tons in 2023.https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
25
US crude steel production was 86.2 million tonnes in 2023.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
26
India crude steel production was 128.5 million tonnes in 2023.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
27
Japan crude steel production was 82.5 million tonnes in 2023.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
28
Germany crude steel production was 37.1 million tonnes in 2023.https://worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
29
Global passenger car production reached about 55.5 million units in 2019.https://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/
30
Global construction output value (proxy for materials demand) reached about US$8.7 trillion in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/248105/global-construction-market-size/
Interpretation
Production & Trade Interpretation
In the Production and Trade view of materials, global primary plastics surged from about 280.4 Mt in 2010 to about 460.3 Mt in 2019, rising roughly 25%, while steel and cement output also remained at very high levels with 1,874.5 million tonnes of steel in 2023 and about 4.1 billion tonnes of cement in 2018.
02 · Category
Emissions & Energy Use30 stats
01
Global CO2 emissions from cement production were about 1.5 billion tonnes in 2019 (direct process emissions plus fuel).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/co2-emissions-cement.csv
02
Global CO2 emissions from cement production were about 2.8 billion tonnes in 2022.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/co2-emissions-cement.csv
03
Cement industry accounts for about 7% of global CO2 emissions.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
04
The global steel industry accounts for about 7-9% of global CO2 emissions (midpoint ~8%).https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-numbers/steel-statistics/
05
The cement industry is responsible for around 4 billion tonnes CO2eq per year globally (approx).https://www.unep.org/resources/report/emissions-gap-report-2021
06
In 2021, the cement sector’s share of global industry CO2 was about 23%.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
07
Global average energy consumption for cement production is about 3.2 GJ/tonne.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
08
Global average clinker-to-cement ratio is about 0.78.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
09
In steelmaking, blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace route emits about 1.85-2.3 tCO2 per tonne steel.https://www.iea.org/reports/iron-and-steel-technology-roadmap
10
In steelmaking, EAF route emits about 0.3-0.5 tCO2 per tonne steel (depending on electricity source).https://www.iea.org/reports/iron-and-steel-technology-roadmap
11
Direct emissions from chemical industry are major; chemical sector contributes about 8% of global CO2.https://www.iea.org/reports/chemicals
12
The production of ammonia accounts for about 1% of global CO2 emissions.https://www.iea.org/reports/ammonia
13
Steel industry CO2 intensity in 2020 globally averaged about 1.8 tCO2/t crude steel.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/steel-co2-intensity.csv
14
Cement industry CO2 intensity in 2020 globally averaged about 0.55 tCO2 per tonne of cement.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/cement-co2-intensity.csv
15
Global share of industrial energy use that is energy-intensive materials (steel, cement, chemicals, aluminum) is large; materials industries account for about 30% of total global industrial energy use (IEA estimate).https://www.iea.org/reports/industrial-energy-efficiency
16
In 2019, the world’s total fossil fuel consumption was about 13.9 billion tonnes of oil equivalent.https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/fossil-fuel-consumption-by-fuel
17
In 2019, industrial energy consumption was about 29% of final energy use.https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-efficiency-2021
18
The chemical industry is responsible for about 15% of global industrial energy use.https://www.iea.org/reports/chemicals
19
Aluminum production is responsible for about 1% of global CO2 emissions.https://www.iea.org/reports/aluminium
20
Copper smelting and refining contributes to emissions; copper production emissions are about 0.5-1% of global industrial emissions (range).https://www.iea.org/reports/copper
21
Renewable energy share in global electricity generation was about 29% in 2021.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-renewables-electricity.csv
22
Share of renewables in electricity in 2010 was about 19%.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-renewables-electricity.csv
23
Average global methane emissions from waste were estimated at about 41% from landfill and waste.https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2019rf/vol3.html
24
In 2022, global electricity-related CO2 emissions were about 14.8 GtCO2.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/energy-related-co2.csv
25
In 2022, global total energy-related CO2 emissions were about 36.8 GtCO2.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/energy-related-co2.csv
26
Cement process emissions account for about 50% of total cement sector emissions.https://www.iea.org/reports/cement
27
Concrete’s embodied CO2 is largely driven by cement content; typical modern mixes use ~10-15% cement by mass (varies).https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1622/ML16222A252.pdf
28
Plastic production uses about 6% of global oil consumption.https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-petrochemicals
29
Plastic production uses about 2.0-2.7% of global gas consumption.https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-petrochemicals
30
Polymer production is responsible for around 1.8 GtCO2e annually (approx).https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-petrochemicals
Interpretation
Emissions & Energy Use Interpretation
For the Emissions and Energy Use category, cement alone produced about 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2019 and rose to about 2.8 billion tonnes by 2022, underscoring how rapidly this sector’s emissions burden is escalating and reinforcing why cement drives a major share of global industrial CO2.
03 · Category
Waste, Recycling & Circularity30 stats
01
In 2019, about 71% of plastic waste generated was not recycled.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
02
In 2019, about 9% of plastic waste was recycled.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
03
In 2019, about 12% of plastic waste was incinerated.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
04
In 2019, about 8% of plastic waste was mismanaged (leaked into environment or open-dumped).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
05
Europe recycled about 32% of plastic waste in 2019.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
06
North America recycled about 9% of plastic waste in 2019.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
07
Asia recycled about 20% of plastic waste in 2019.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
08
Global plastic waste generation is projected to increase from 353 Mt in 2019 to 1,000 Mt by 2060 (estimate).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-projections.csv
09
The share of plastic waste recycled globally increased from about 8% in 2010 to about 9% in 2019.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
10
In 2017, the global municipal solid waste recycling rate was about 19%.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/recycling-rate-msw.csv
11
In 2017, the global municipal solid waste landfilling rate was about 44%.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/recycling-rate-msw.csv
12
In 2017, global municipal solid waste open dumping rate was about 19%.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/recycling-rate-msw.csv
13
EU recycling rate for packaging waste was about 55% in 2021.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Packaging_waste_statistics
14
EU recycling rate for plastic packaging waste was about 38% in 2021.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Packaging_waste_statistics
15
In 2021, EU plastic waste recycling rate was about 38% for plastic packaging.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Packaging_waste_statistics
16
Global e-waste generated was about 53.6 million tonnes in 2019.https://www.globalewaste.org/
17
In 2019, only about 17.4% of global e-waste was documented as formally recycled.https://www.globalewaste.org/
18
In 2022, global e-waste was about 62 million tonnes (estimate).https://www.globalewaste.org/
19
Global construction and demolition waste generation is about 2.2 billion tonnes per year in the world (estimate).https://www.oecd.org/environment/waste/the-global-waste-management-outlook/
20
In OECD countries, recycling rate for construction and demolition waste can reach 70-80% in some contexts (range).https://www.oecd.org/environment/waste/
21
Steel recycling rate (scrap used in EAF + BOF) corresponds to about 30-35% of crude steel; OECD estimate.https://www.oecd.org/environment/waste/
22
In 2020, EU recycling rate for municipal waste was 48.6%.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics
23
In 2020, EU landfilling rate for municipal waste was 26.7%.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics
24
In 2022, global plastic recycling rate was about 9% overall.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
25
The EU’s municipal waste recycling rate target is 55% by 2025.https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/municipal-waste_en
26
Only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally according to OECD/UNEP estimates.https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastics/
27
The world generated 19.4 Mt of plastic waste in Europe (2019) (scale used in recycling calculations).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-generated.csv
28
The world generated 7.4 Mt of plastic waste in Oceania (2019).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-generated.csv
29
The share of plastic waste that is mismanaged/leaked was about 12% globally in 2019.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
30
Globally, 91% of plastic waste was either landfilled, incinerated, or leaked in 2019.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-waste-management.csv
Interpretation
Waste, Recycling & Circularity Interpretation
In 2019, most plastic waste still went unrecycled at 71 percent and only 9 percent was recycled globally, showing that the waste and recycling gap is the biggest bottleneck for circularity efforts.
More related reading
report visual · Comparison
Where plastic waste ends up (2019, global)
In 2019, the largest share of plastic waste was not recycled (50%), far exceeding the recycled share (9%)—with mismanaged (22%) and incinerated (19%) forming the next-largest porti
50% of plastic waste generated was not recycled in 201950%
22% of plastic waste generated was mismanaged in 2019
22%
19% of plastic waste generated was incinerated in 2019
19%
9% of plastic waste generated was recycled in 2019
9%
source-verifiedoecd.org2019
04 · Category
Policy, Markets & Investment30 stats
01
In 2019, global primary plastic materials (virgin plastic) demand was about 368 Mt.https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastic-production-by-type.csv
02
In 2019, global plastic demand was about 460 Mt primary plastic (production).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/plastics-production-by-type.csv
03
The value of the global chemicals market was about $4.0 trillion in 2022.https://www.statista.com/statistics/263924/global-chemicals-market-volume/
04
The global materials market size (broad materials) was about $12.1 trillion in 2022 (estimate).https://www.statista.com/statistics/263930/global-materials-market-size/
05
The global construction materials market size was about $1.7 trillion in 2023 (estimate).https://www.statista.com/statistics/443578/construction-materials-market-size/
06
The global cement market value was about $360 billion in 2023 (estimate).https://www.statista.com/statistics/263944/cement-market-value/
07
The global steel market value was about $1.1 trillion in 2023 (estimate).https://www.statista.com/statistics/267481/global-steel-market-value/
08
The global aluminum market value was about $180 billion in 2023 (estimate).https://www.statista.com/statistics/270514/aluminum-market-size/
09
The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) covered about 10,000 installations (2019 baseline).https://ec.europa.eu/clima/system/files/2019-01/ets_handbook_en.pdf
10
EU ETS covers about 40% of EU greenhouse gas emissions (approx 2019-2021 baseline).https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en
11
EU ETS Phase 4 (2021-2030) has a linear reduction factor of 2.2% per year for total cap.https://ec.europa.eu/clima/system/files/2020-11/eu-ets-linear-factor.pdf
12
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered transition phase starting 1 Oct 2023.https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
13
CBAM covers sectors including cement, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizers, and electricity (5 sectors listed).https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
14
CBAM implementation started with reporting obligations in the transition period (Oct 2023).https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
15
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation sets recycling targets, including 50% for plastic packaging by 2025.https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/packaging-waste_en
16
The Waste Framework Directive set a 50% municipal waste recycling target by 2020 (EU).https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008L0098
17
EU landfill diversion targets aimed at reducing landfill to 10% of municipal waste by 2035.https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018L0852
18
Basel Convention entered into force in 1992.https://www.basel.int/TheConvention/Overview/tabid/1272/Default.aspx
19
Kigali Amendment aims to reduce HFCs by 80-85% by 2047 relative to baseline.https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol?utm_medium=none&utm_source=none
20
The EU Methane Regulation reduces emissions from fossil energy sector targets 75% by 2030 for methane?https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_6652
21
Global sustainable finance reached about $35.3 trillion in 2022 (proxy for investment in environmental projects).https://www.unepfi.org/publications/
22
The European Green Deal aims for a 55% net GHG reduction by 2030.https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/european-green-deal_en
23
EU target: 32% renewables share by 2030.https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-directive/renewable-energy-targets-2030_en
24
EU target: 2030 energy efficiency improvement of 11.7% (final energy).https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-targets-and-rules/energy-efficiency-targets_en
25
Global private investment in clean energy in 2023 was about $1.8 trillion (estimate).https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/product/bnef/
26
Global spending on fossil fuel subsidies was about $1 trillion in 2022 (context for policy).https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2023
27
IEA estimates global CO2 emissions from industry account for about 25% of energy-related CO2.https://www.iea.org/reports/industry
28
IEA projects clean energy investment needs for hard-to-abate sectors by 2030 are hundreds of billions; steel, cement, chemicals.https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-roadmap
29
The US IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) provides $369 billion for energy and climate (title numbers).https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376
30
The IRA includes $60 billion for industrial decarbonization? (public figure).https://www.energy.gov/
Interpretation
Policy, Markets & Investment Interpretation
With chemicals at about $4.0 trillion in 2022 and broad materials at roughly $12.1 trillion the same year, while construction and cement still represent major demand at $1.7 trillion in 2023 and $360 billion in 2023, policy and investment decisions in the materials sector are likely to be strongly shaped by the sheer scale and growth of these markets, especially as virgin plastic demand reached about 368 Mt in 2019 against total primary plastic production of roughly 460 Mt.
05 · Category
Business & Workforce30 stats
01
The U.S. durable goods manufacturing shipments in 2023 were about $1.7 trillion (materials-intensive proxy).https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU324110324110
02
The U.S. manufacturing output index (materials-intensive industries) in 2023 averaged about 106.5 (index, 2017=100).https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/INDPRO
03
Manufacturing employment in the EU27 was about 30.6 million in 2022.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Employment_statistics
04
In 2023, the average monthly earnings in the EU for manufacturing were about €3,500 (approx).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Earnings_statistics
05
In 2022, the share of workers in manufacturing with tertiary education in EU was about 33%.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Employment_statistics
06
In 2022, the number of people employed in waste management activities in the EU was about 0.9 million.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Waste_statistics
07
In 2021, the EU eco-industries employment was about 4.1 million jobs (EU).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Eco-industries_statistics
08
EU eco-industries generated turnover of about €454 billion in 2021 (estimate).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Eco-industries_statistics
09
Global industrial production index increased by about 3.5% in 2023 (UN/World).https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ISRIMP
10
In 2022, the share of renewables in electricity in EU was about 40% (Eurostat/Ours).https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-electricity-renewables.csv
11
In 2022, the average energy intensity of manufacturing in the EU declined by about 1.7% (proxy).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Energy_efficiency_statistics
12
In 2022, the global recycling industry employs millions; estimates of formal recycling jobs were about 18 million in 2019 (I·LO estimate).https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_720919/lang--en/index.htm
13
Waste management and recycling sector in OECD employs about 1.3 million (estimate).https://www.oecd.org/environment/waste/
14
In 2019, the global number of employees in the recycling sector was about 15 million (ILO).https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_720919/lang--en/index.htm
15
In 2020, the EU had about 4.1 million people employed in environmental goods and services sectors (eco-industries).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Eco-industries_statistics
16
In 2021, the EU eco-industries turnover was about €454 billion (eco-industries).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Eco-industries_statistics
17
In 2022, the EU eco-industries were about 3.2% of GDP (approx).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Eco-industries_statistics
18
In 2020, the share of workers in EU manufacturing at high risk of accidents is around 10% (HSE estimate).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Accidents_at_work_statistics
19
In 2021, the EU injury rate for non-fatal accidents at work was about 3.2 per 100 workers in manufacturing.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Accidents_at_work_statistics
20
EU fatal accidents at work rate was about 0.9 per 100,000 workers (manufacturing context).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Accidents_at_work_statistics
21
In 2022, global unemployment rate was about 5.8% (ILO).https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/
22
In 2022, global employment in manufacturing was about 465 million people (ILO estimate).https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/
23
In 2021, ILO estimated employment in recycling and waste collection at ~20 million.https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_720919/lang--en/index.htm
24
In 2020, EU raw materials supply chain jobs count was about 2.1 million (estimate).https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/
25
In 2019, the global number of people working in construction was about 118 million (ILO).https://ilostat.ilo.org/
26
Construction employment is materials-intensive; construction value added was about 7% of global GDP (UN).https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/construction-industry-contribution-to-gdp-by-country
27
In 2022, global construction production was about US$10.5 trillion (estimate).https://www.statista.com/statistics/218068/world-construction-industry-market-size/
28
In 2021, the EU manufacturing sector employed about 24 million people.https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Employment_statistics
29
In 2023, the number of employees in the US metals manufacturing industry was about 1.9 million (NAICS 331).https://data.bls.gov/
30
In 2023, the number of employees in US chemical manufacturing industry (NAICS 325) was about 0.9 million.https://data.bls.gov/
Interpretation
Business & Workforce Interpretation
In the Business and Workforce picture for materials, EU manufacturing shows a sizable skilled labor base and stable earnings as manufacturing employment reached about 30.6 million in 2022 and average monthly earnings were around €3,500 in 2023, while tertiary educated workers accounted for roughly 33% in 2022 and waste management employed about 0.9 million people.
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
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Materials Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/materials-industry-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Materials Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/materials-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Materials Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/materials-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
88 datasets cited across this report
+41 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)