Spain cement demand rises 8.5% in Q1 as construction sector rebounds

Spain's cement consumption rose 8.5% in the first quarter to 3.9 million metric tons, as a strong March recovery offset weather-related construction delays earlier in the year, potentially supporting regional trade flows in building materials as the construction sector regains momentum.

The March performance, with consumption up 27.7% year over year at 1.54 million mt, marked the strongest March result in 15 years and helped reverse sluggish demand patterns caused by heavy rainfall in January and February, according to the latest Cement Statistics published by the industry body Oficemen on May 4.

Rolling 12-month data showed that cumulative consumption from April 2025 to March 2026 reached nearly 17 million mt, up 11.8% from the prior 12-month period.

Spanish cement exports fell 14.8% in the first quarter to 887,472 mt, a decline of nearly 155,000 mt from the year-ago period, as international sales weakened across key markets. March exports fell 18.3% to 357,283 mt, roughly 80,000 tonnes below March 2025 levels, extending a negative trend that has persisted over the rolling year.

Between April 2025 and March 2026, export volumes totaled 4.34 million tonnes, down 12.1% and representing a loss of almost 600,000 tonnes compared with the previous 12-month period.