Fernando de Querol Cumbrera
Research expert covering construction, loans, leasing, savings, and debt
Construction industry in France - statistics & facts
Although specialized construction activities are the largest segment in the construction industry, they are often overlooked. Although putting buildings and infrastructure in place are essential to make the regions where we live livable and prosperous, nearly 230 billion euros of the 384 billion euros making up the turnover of the construction industry in France came from specialized activities. That segment includes demolition and site preparation, the installation of HVAC equipment, plumbing, and electrical systems, painting and glazing, as well as other activities that often either prepare the site before construction works, or finish the building once that the structure has been completed.
Despite the challenges that the industry has faced in recent years, France has a robust construction sector with high numbers of buildings and infrastructure projects completed, but its largest companies are also very active abroad.
Enduring an adverse business climate
During the last couple of years, the French construction industry faced several important challenges. After recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and suffering material shortages in 2021 and 2022, there has been an increase in construction prices. Firstly, the energy costs for construction soared in 2022, but decreased somewhat in the following year. Meanwhile, the material and equipment costs of constructing a building in France also rose in 2023, even if at a lower pace. During the past years, the labor shortage was one of the main factors limiting building activity in the country, although it was overtaken by an insufficient demand in July 2024.French construction companies worldwide
The leading French construction contractors only compete with those from China in terms of global revenue. While Spain had several contractors with high revenue figures, but all of which were outperformed by the French construction giants. That was in great part thanks to Vinci and Bouygues, which were among the top ten construction firms with the highest revenue worldwide. These companies have a strong international presence, and they do not only focus on their home market, which is what explains their high revenue figures. For example, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain only generated approximately a quarter of its revenue in France, and it had a strong presence in North America and other European countries, as well as in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.Despite the challenges that the industry has faced in recent years, France has a robust construction sector with high numbers of buildings and infrastructure projects completed, but its largest companies are also very active abroad.
