Description
Toilet market Germany: demand in million units and forecast to 2031
How is the toilet market in Germany developing? The dataset quantifies domestic demand for ceramic toilet bowls in million units, for every quarter from Q1/2021 to Q4/2031 – as historical market data and forecast.
The dataset covers glazed vitreous china bowls: wall-hung WCs with a cistern concealed in a pre-wall frame (standard in new build), floor-standing WCs with exposed cistern for low-cost refurbishment, and shower toilets with bidet function. Every wet room with a WC gets exactly one bowl. Urinals, used almost only in non-residential buildings, and bidets, increasingly displaced by shower toilets, are excluded; the frame is a separate dataset.
Sanitary ceramics last almost indefinitely, so bowls are swapped mainly during bathroom refurbishment – and not always then, as the waste connection and pre-wall installation are affected. Still, most volume comes from existing buildings, with hotels, hospitals and care homes renewing more often. After the pandemic peak, higher interest rates, inflation and the housing slump cut volumes. A slight recovery is followed by a short-term dip, then an upswing as rising permits reach demand; the new-build share keeps falling. Shower toilets grow, driven by demographic change, accessible design and the contract segment, yet barely change unit numbers.
Which questions about the toilet market does the dataset answer?
- How do toilet bowl sales develop from 2021 to 2031?
- How many bowls go into new buildings and how many into refurbished bathrooms?
- How is demand for toilet bowls split between residential and non-residential buildings?
- When do volumes bottom out, and when do they pick up again?
Who is the dataset for?
Ceramics manufacturers plan capacity and sales, suppliers of raw materials and glazes their volumes. Plumbing wholesalers and showrooms manage range and stock, installers and bathroom planners anticipate orders, and analysts gain an indicator of bathroom modernisation.
Data basis and methodology
The total market is split by new build and renovation and by residential and non-residential buildings. Completions, permits and renovation activity are combined with wet rooms per m² of floor space, one bowl per wet room with a WC and a replacement cycle for the ceramics. Volumes were derived from stock, equipment and renewal parameters and checked for plausibility against available industry information and internal data.
Delivered as CSV and Excel files, each in German and English, with 44 quarterly values. Related datasets: Pre-wall installation (WC element), Washbasin, Grab and support rails (bathroom/WC) and all data on sanitary, water and accessibility.
