Construction Glass Market Size & Share Analysis - Trends, Drivers, Competitive Landscape, and Forecasts (2025 - 2032)

Construction Glass Market Trends and Growth Drivers

Green Buildings Are Major Trend Worldwide

• As per the World Economic Forum, global spending on green construction could reach USD 1.8 trillion by 2030.
• Green building or sustainable design is the practice of increasing the efficiency through which buildings or the construction sites use energy, water, and materials, and reduce the building impacts on human health and the environment over the entire life cycle of the building.
• The purpose of the green building is to construct a project, which would preserve the natural environment near the project site, without upsetting the water, land, energy and resources in and around the construction area.
• The construction and infrastructure industry is directly affected by various government policies and legislations concerning the protection of environment, energy efficiency, social and economic conditions and safety qualities.
• The market is shifting towards green buildings, which are becoming the standard.
• As green buildings are becoming a critical part of today's world, newer construction technologies are being developed in such a way that can cope up with the shifting nature of the market.
• This is compelling the glass manufacturers to come up with unique glass products.
• Glass, as a construction material, offers various advantages such as natural day light, solar and acoustic control, transparency, resistant to chemicals, and sustainability to harsh weather conditions.
• The focus has been shifted to energy saving glasses, which acts as an insulator for buildings from UV-rays, and heat loss.
• Construction companies and architects are using various solar-controlled glass, such as double and triple glazed glasses in their design and construction, which creates an opportunity for the global glass manufacturers to contribute in environment conservation alongside with developing better glass products and increasing their market share.

Growing Construction Industry Supports Market Boom

• The construction industry has been showcasing positive growth on the face of the increase in population, growing disposable income of individuals, and customer preference to live a standard life.
• These factors have further supported the growth of overall construction industry of various residential and commercial buildings, malls, offices, factories and plants.
• Owing to its broad spectrum of applications and properties, the application of construction glasses is increasing as a replacement for conventional building materials such as brick, polycarbonate materials, and wood.
• Glass is widely used in external walls, internal partitions, windows, and glass doors.
• Installation of construction glass in buildings and infrastructures help in blocking sunrays during summer, protecting from ultra-violet radiations, reducing costs for heating, lighting and air-conditioning, and enhancing safety and security features.
• The global construction industry is expected to grow during the forecast period in the developing economies of Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa.
• Developing countries such as China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa are expected to showcase growing demand for construction glass is witnessing growing infrastructure development and urbanization.
• Additionally, the growth is accelerated by the shifting customer preference to green buildings that offers various solutions, such as high resistance to electricity and chemicals, solar protection and temperature control, which are least affected by changing climatic conditions and flexibility in molding.
• The investment in the residential sector, supported by favorable government measures and housebuilding programs, as well as those in the civic infrastructure and the energy and utilities sector act, as the major drivers of the construction output.
• A key application of glass is the facade of skyscrapers to give them a modern and sleek look. Due to the diminishing land availability in cities, a large number of skyscrapers are being constructed to maximize space.
• The most-prominent ones under construction around the world are Guangdong Business Center, Tokyo Torch, Haiyun Plaza Tower, China Merchants Bank Global Headquarters, Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters, Great River Center, Tour F, JPMorgan Chase World Headquarters, Torre Rise, Six Senses Residences, and Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences.
• Moreover, The Line linear smart city in Saudi Arabia is envisioned as a single 170-km-long, 500-m-high, and 200-m-wide building with a glass facade.

Construction Glass Market Analysis

Type Insights

The larger construction glass market share was held by the special category in 2024, with 60% value share. This is imputable to the growing application of flat glass in commercial and residential industries due to its natural insulation and protection from UV rays. The most-frequently used type of flat glass is float glass, which has now replaced conventional materials in various applications, including mirror glass, home and office doors, and glass partitions between the teller counters at banks. This material performs several functions, from heat insulation to soundproofing and from safety applications to solar protection, which strengthens the demand for it.

Moreover, the laminated variant is widely used across various applications, including facades, floors, roofs, sunspaces, aquaria, bridges, and staircases. Due to their noise-insulation properties, it is extensively used in hotels, airport terminals, recording studios, and other places.

The low-E category is the faster growing on account of the rising popularity of this variant among green building contractors, architects, and housing developers. The presence of a low-emissivity film enables low-E glass to insulate more strongly than conventional uncoated glass. This drives its usage in cold regions, where it helps make indoor spaces warmer. The strong insulation also reduces energy consumption for heating, thereby decreasing electric bills.

These types are covered:

• Special (Larger Category)
• Low-E (Faster-Growing Category)

Chemical Composition Insights

Soda lime recorded the largest share in the construction glass market demand in 2024, and it is expected to witness the highest CAGR over the forecast period, of 6%. Soda lime glass has a low cost, fabrication simplicity, low melting point, and resistance to de-vitrification and water. Therefore, it is used in many applications, for instance, windows, buildings’ plate glass, and exteriors, where high temperature resistance and chemical stability are required. Further, it is used in the manufacturing of canopies, shop fronts, glass blocks, railing partitions, and other elements.

We analyzed these chemical compositions:

• Soda Lime (Largest and Fastest-Growing Category)
• Potash–Lime
• Potash–Lead

Manufacturing Process Insights

The float manufacturing process dominated the market in 2024 with 65% share, and it is expected to register the higher CAGR over the forecast period. With its good chemical inertness, high degree of light transmission, and ability to be produced in a range of colors and opacities, float glass is widely preferred in the manufacturing sector. It is widely used for the smaller windows in residential buildings, which fuels the float manufacturing process.

The report offers insights into these manufacturing processes:

• Float Process (Larger and Faster-Growing Category)
• Rolled/Sheet Process

Application Insights

The commercial category accounted for the larger share in 2024, and it is projected to record the higher CAGR during the forecast period, of 6.5%. Architects and designers are progressively using these products in skyscrapers due to their enhanced adaptability and versatility.

Further, glass offers dynamic interior design solutions, which maximize the space utilization and the impression of light, and embolden the color inside the building structure. Therefore, with countries focusing strongly on infrastructure projects, including several multi-billion-dollar projects, the demand for this amorphous material continues to boom. For instance, in the U.A.E., forthcoming projects, such as Qiddiya and NEOM City, are projected to consume a massive volume of glass.

These applications have been studied:

• Commercial (Largest and Fastest-Growing Category)
• Residential
• Industrial

Construction Glass Market Geographical Outlook

In 2024, APAC held the largest value share, of 40%, and it will have the highest CAGR over the forecast period, of 6%. The robust industrialization, coupled with the proliferating building activities in developing countries, such as India and China, and the rising eco-friendly material requirement are the major contributors to the industry growth.

Moreover, companies are concentrating on adopting a range of strategies to gain a competitive advantage. For instance, Saint-Gobain recently invested USD 67.5 million (INR 500 crore) to establish a new float glass facility and integrated window line at its World Glass Campus in Chennai, India.

Moreover, China Glass Holdings Limited has bought the Orda float glass manufacturing facility in Kazakhstan. It is an advanced industrial facility using technology supplied by Stewart Engineers that will produce 600 metric tons per day of architectural and automotive glass.

Moreover, Europe is expected to witness a significant growth rate in the long run. This is credited to the technological advancement in the industry and further value addition in the products. The European infrastructure sector is shifting from double-glazed to triple-glazed products, for reduced heat loss and better energy efficiency.

In 2021, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the EU’s policies that support the industry in accomplishing the transition toward a climate-neutral society and identified the EU's Renovation Wave as an excellent source of business opportunities for products, attracting investments, while contributing to the depletion of CO₂ emissions from buildings.

Furthermore, North America is projected to record moderate growth in the coming years. The limited mortgage rates, strong demand for larger living spaces, and growing housing inventory are the major factors fortifying the residential sector, which would further stimulate the demand for these materials. Moreover, the resumption of the delayed projects, coupled with the rising focus on home refurbishment and the enormous government infrastructure investments over the coming years, is likely to support the commercial industry, which, in turn, would inflate the use of these products in the region.

Here is the geographical breakdown of the market:

• North America
  • U.S. (Larger and Faster-Growing Country Market)
  • Canada
• Europe
  • France
  • Germany (Largest and Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Spain
  • U.K.
  • Italy
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific (APAC) (Largest and Fastest-Growing Regional Market)
  • China (Largest Country Market)
  • India (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Rest of APAC
• Latin America (LATAM)
  • Brazil (Largest Country Market)
  • Mexico (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Rest of LATAM
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)
  • Saudi Arabia (Largest and Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • South Africa
  • U.A.E.
  • Rest of MEA

Construction Glass Market Share

The market is fragmented as glass is one of the earliest construction materials known to humans. Therefore, there is ample understanding of the material and manufacturing expertise around the world. This is why a huge number of global, regional, and small, local companies produce a large variety of glass for various construction purposes. Additionally, well-funded contractors working on mega projects generally buy from global companies in bulk, whereas individual contractors choose local companies.

Construction Glass Market News

• In September 2024, AGC Inc. achieved the Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze status for its coated and float glass products sold in APAC.
• In March 2024, Nippon Sheet Glass Co. Ltd. started a carbon capture pilot project at its flat glass manufacturing factory in Greengate, U.K.
• In January 2023, Guardian Industries Holdings Inc. announced plans to acquire Vortex Glass to provide consumers in the Caribbean and Florida with insulated and laminated glass that can withstand hurricanes.