Upswing in cement in Spain
As Spain’s construction and real estate sectors start to recover from seven years of recession cement demand shows some upswing. However the downturn of the cement industry was so large that it will take many years and special programs to reach even 60 % of pre-crisis production levels.
1 Introduction
In 2015 Spain’s economy expanded by 3.2 %, which significantly outperforms growth in the Euro Area. The economic growth is robust, driven by domestic demand, positive labor market developments, improved access to credit for companies and households and a low oil price. Private consumption expenditure increased from 1.2 % to 3.1 % in 2015. At the same time the high unemployment rate declined from 24.4 % to 22.1 % (20.9 % in 4.Q), although youth unemployment (under 25) is still scandalously high at 45.5 % compared to 19.4 % on average in the EU and only 6.9 % in Germany. The...