The Italian ceramic industry continues to thrive, as revealed by the statistical surveys presented by Confindustria Ceramica for the year 2022. The sector encompasses companies involved in tile and slab production, sanitary ceramics, porcelainware, refractory materials, technical ceramics, and bricks. With a total of 259 companies operating in Italy, employing 26,500 direct workers, and generating an impressive €8.7 billion in revenue, the industry demonstrates its robustness and importance to the national economy. Furthermore, Italian ceramic companies’ productive internationalization efforts in Europe and North America have exceeded €1 billion.
Italian Tile Production: In Italy, there are 128 tile manufacturing companies that collectively produced 431.2 million square meters (-0.9% compared to 2021) in 2022. The sector provided employment to 18,639 direct workers, consistent with the previous year. Total tile sales reached 448.9 million square meters (-1.4%). Domestic sales in Italy exceeded 92.7 million square meters (+1.7%), while exports amounted to 356.2 million square meters (-2.2%). Italian tile companies achieved a total turnover of nearly €7.2 billion (+16.5%), with €6 billion generated from exports (+14.8%, accounting for 83% of the turnover) and €1.2 billion from domestic sales. Investments in the sector amounted to €441.3 million, representing a 25.6% increase from 2021 and constituting 6.1% of the turnover.
Sanitary Ceramics, Refractory Materials, Bricks, and Porcelainware: Italy boasts 30 industrial companies engaged in sanitary ceramics, with 27 of them located in the Civita Castellana district (Viterbo). These companies employ a total of 2,652 direct workers and produce 3.6 million pieces. The sector’s turnover amounts to €396.9 million, with sales in various international markets reaching €156.8 million (40% of the total).
There are 30 companies active in the production of refractory materials, employing 1,639 workers and producing 301,100 tons. The total turnover for this sector has experienced a slight decline compared to the previous year (€373 million, -2%), with sales in the domestic market exceeding €151 million and exports amounting to over €222 million.
The Italian brick manufacturing sector consists of 62 companies employing 3,000 workers. In 2022, the sector’s turnover reached €700 million, primarily generated from the domestic market. The total production of bricks amounted to 4.6 million tons.
Finally, Italian ceramic tableware is produced by nine industrial companies, employing 654 workers, with a production volume of 9,900 tons and finished product sales amounting to 9,400 tons. The domestic market accounts for 75% of total sales. The 2022 turnover for this sector reached €60.1 million (+27%), with 63% of the revenue generated in Italy.
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