France, after a few periods of development influenced by the United States, has long stood as the primary customer for what exporters refer to as the Tile of Spain. It remains a forward-looking market for the ceramics industry due to a strong home-improvement trend, highlighted in ICEX’s ceramic tile market study for France. This trend hinges on two key factors: first, the population’s preference for comfortable, self-contained living spaces, and second, tax incentives that encourage renovating older homes to support the country’s energy transition. As a result, there is robust demand for wall and floor tiles that are quick to install and suitable for large areas.
With the surge in home remodeling, the French focus on enjoying open, airy living spaces is notable. Consequently, ceramic tiles favored in this market are those designed for terraces and swimming pools. The push toward better insulation in newly built homes also points to demand for radiant-floor tiles that enhance heat transfer. Another important consideration is France’s growing ecological awareness; buyers increasingly favor products with environmentally friendly compositions. In this market, sustainability features are becoming a deciding factor for tile purchases.
In terms of aesthetics, the French market shows strong similarities to the Spanish market, with high demand for stoneware and large-format tiles. The industry trend is to direct manufacturers toward higher value-added products that improve profit margins in a price-competitive environment, a point emphasized in the market analysis.
About 80 percent of the ceramic tiles consumed in France are used for renovating terraces and swimming pools. The most common formats are 60×60 cm and 45×45 cm, with a notable uptick in demand for larger formats of 70×70 cm, 120×120 cm, and 45×90 cm. Standard French tile dimensions remain 20×50 cm, 20×60 cm, and 25×40 cm, while XXL formats still represent a modest share at 3.9 percent of total demand.
The ICEX report notes that Spanish ceramic products, both wall and floor tiles, attract French buyers. It is significant that France remains the top destination for Spanish exports, with a 28.9 percent year-over-year increase in the January–July 2022 period. Spain also ranks as France’s second-largest supplier of these products, following Italy.
good horizons
Looking ahead, the market is projected to reach a volume of 116 million square meters in 2025, reflecting about a 5 percent rise from 2022. The average price is expected to stay within roughly 5 to 20 euros per square meter, with total market value potentially reaching 1,194.2 million euros in 2025. Energy and raw material costs could temper these positive projections, but the overall outlook remains constructive.
France’s ceramic tile trade balance for 2021 showed a deficit of 1.019 million euros, with exports around 50 million euros and imports near 1.069 million euros, yielding a coverage ratio of 4.8 percent. Italy and Switzerland are the main export destinations for French ceramic tiles. Spain ranks tenth among France’s suppliers, with roughly 618,000 euros in turnover in 2021. France also stands as Spain’s second-largest supplier of these products after Italy, with 293.5 million euros in imports from France.