Cement sales in Brazil increased 5.2 per cent YoY to 5.265Mt in March 2025 from 5.006Mt in March 2024, according to the national cement association, SNIC. On the basis of working days, the increase was 10.1 per cent. 

Market growth was strongest in the country's smallest region, the north, where sales improved by 10.1 per cent YoY to 239,000t from 217,000t in March 2024. Robust growth was also noted in the south, where the market expanded by 9.5 per cent to 945,000t in March 2025 from 863,000t in the year-ago period. In the northeast sales advanced 6.9 per cent YoY to 1,091,000t from 1,021,000t over the same period while in the southeast, dispatches were up 3.2 per cent YoY to 2,429,000t from 2,354,000t in March 2024. The central-western regions saw a 1.8 per cent uptick in sales to 561,000t in March 2025 from 551,000t in the equivalent period of the previous year. 

The growth of the national market was attributed to the continued expansion of the labour market and the population's income as well as a quarterly unemployment rate that was the lowest since 2014, when it was 6.8 per cent.

Furthermore, an increase in real estate launches by the Minha Casa Minha Vida programme also supported cement demand. Sales of construction materials continued to expand in February with the market expected to see a 2.8 per cent YoY uptick this year. The trend also underpins the confidence of the construction sector, which after two months of decline picked up in February although a labour shortage continues to hang over the sector. 

The rise in interest rates continues to present a downside risk with the number of units financed for construction falling by 49.3 per cent YoY. 

In addition, consumer confidence remains fairly low despite seeing its first increase of the year, subdued by high inflation and interest rates as well as a population debt that remains quite high (48.3 per cent) and defaults reaching more than 75m Brazilians.

In terms of overseas sales, Brazil's cement producers exported 5000t of cement, up 66.7 per cent YoY from 3000t in March 2024.

January-March 2025
Cement sales in the domestic market advanced by six per cent to 15.54Mt in the first quarter of 2025 when compared with sales of 14.665Mt in the 1Q24. 

Brazil's largest cement market, the southeast expanded by 5.4 per cent YoY to 7.099Mt from 6.735Mt in the 1Q24 while in the northeast sales increased by 9.3 per cent YoY to 3.323Mt from 3.04Mt in the 1Q24. The south also saw significant growth, of 7.2 per cent YoY, to 2.738Mt in the January-March 2025 period from 2.555Mt in the 1Q24. In the central-west sales growth was more muted at 0.4 per cent YoY as sales climbed to 1.665Mt in the 1Q25 from 1.658Mt. The north saw a 5.6 per cent increase in dispatches to 0.715Mt in the January-March 2025 period from 0.677Mt in the equivalent period of the previous year. 

In addition to domestic sales, 18,000t of cement were exported, down 10 per cent YoY from 20,000t in the 1Q24.

“In 2024, the industry recovered the losses of 2022 and 2023, closing the year with four per cent growth. In the first quarter of 2025, sales reached 15.6Mt, an increase of 5.9 per cent. Projections for the first half of the year remain positive, but economic instability marked by the increase in the Selic rate, population debt, high inflation and fiscal issues should reduce the sector's gains in the second half of the year,” said Paulo Camillo Penna, president of SNIC.

SNIC projects cement market growth in the region of 1-1.5 per cent YoY in 2025, but says performance will depend on the evolution of the economy, monetary policy and investments in infrastructure and housing.