After a challenging year for the construction industry, the global window market is gradually recovering. According to Interconnection Consulting, in 2024 the total market volume reached 448.8 million window units, 1.1% less than the previous year. Manufacturers’ revenue fell by 1.7% to €81.1 billion. However, cautious growth of about 1.9% is expected in 2025, reaching 457.5 million units. Even so, the market will remain slightly below the 2022 level.
Global performance remains weak due to high interest rates in construction, geopolitical instability, and US trade policy. In Central and Eastern Europe, market volumes fell by 6.2% in 2024 — to 13.4 million units — after an 11.2% drop in 2023. The largest losses were recorded in Poland (–8.6%) and the Czech–Slovak region (–8.0%). High loan costs, rising construction expenses, and the war in Ukraine continue to suppress demand. The market in the region is expected to decline again in 2025.
In Western Europe, the situation is similar: high interest rates and energy prices led to an 8.0% fall in 2023 (to 63.6 million units) and another 6.0% in 2024 (to 59.8 million units). Recovery is not expected before 2026. Meanwhile, the US and Canadian markets grew by 2.9% in 2024, though growth may slow in 2025.
Unlike Europe, Asian window markets showed strong growth in 2024. The most dynamic were India (+6.2%) and Southeast Asia (+5.9%). In India, key drivers were urbanisation, rising household incomes, and the government’s “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana” housing programme aimed at providing affordable housing for broad sections of the population.
In China, however, the market remained stagnant due to declining investor and consumer confidence, developers’ debt problems, and strict regulations. The People’s Bank of China’s interest rate cut in early 2025 may revive construction in the second half of the year, but investor confidence remains fragile because of trade tensions between the US and China, notes report author Laszlo Barla.
Metal windows held the largest share of the global market — 194.4 million units in 2024. They were followed by PVC windows (182.7 million) and wooden ones (54.3 million). Hybrid options — timber/aluminium or PVC/aluminium — and other materials (such as fibreglass windows in the US and Canada) accounted for 17.4 million units. Demand for metal structures increased due to more active non-residential construction and faster growth in Asian markets, where metal dominates over PVC.
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