Colombia Cement Demand Rises Nearly 10% in October

Colombia’s cement market recorded strong growth in October 2025, with total dispatches increasing 9.8% year over year to 1.179 million metric tons, according to data from the national statistics agency DANE.

Growth was driven largely by the bagged cement segment, which posted a 14.7% annual increase, while bulk cement deliveries remained essentially flat with marginal growth of 0.03%. The wholesale and retail channel also showed solid momentum, expanding 17.4% compared with the same month last year.

In contrast, cement consumption by construction companies and contractors declined by 11.2%, highlighting ongoing shifts in demand patterns across the sector. Ready-mix concrete producers partially offset this decline, increasing their cement intake by 5.8% during the month.

Domestic cement production also rose during October, with output increasing 5.8% year over year to 1.25 million metric tons, up from 1.181 million metric tons in October 2024. The increase in production reflects a gradual recovery in plant utilization as retail demand strengthens, even as large construction activity remains uneven.

For the January–October 2025 period, cement dispatches totaled 10.556 million metric tons, representing a 4.6% increase compared with the same period in 2024. Performance across market segments continued to diverge over the first 10 months of the year. Bagged cement sales grew 7.9% year over year, underscoring sustained demand from individual consumers and smaller-scale projects, while bulk cement sales declined by 1.9%.

Wholesale and retail distribution remained the strongest-performing channel, with dispatches up 11.3% during the period. Meanwhile, deliveries to construction firms and contractors fell 4.8%, and sales to ready-mix concrete producers declined by 4%, reflecting softer demand from larger infrastructure and commercial projects.

Cement production during the first 10 months of 2025 reached 11.466 million metric tons, marking a 2.8% increase compared with the same period last year. The modest rise in output suggests producers are responding cautiously to demand growth, balancing improved retail sales against ongoing uncertainty in the construction sector.

Overall, Colombia’s cement market performance in 2025 points to a gradual rebalancing, with household and retail-driven consumption playing a larger role while traditional construction demand continues to face pressure from economic conditions and project delays.

Originally reported by Cemnet.