SUMMIT, NJ – Market research firm IRL has released a new edition of its regional title, A Profile of the Central European Paint Industry. The report provides market data for 2013 and forecasts for 2018, and gives an overview of the paint industry trends across 14 countries in the region.

The total market for paints and coatings in Central Europe was over 1.3 million tonnes in 2013 and is forecast to rise to more than 1.5 million tonnes by 2018. This is equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 2.9%.

On a country-by-country basis, Poland is by far the largest national market, accounting for nearly 41% of total demand. Poland, as well as the medium-sized markets of Hungary and Romania, are predicted to show good growth rates, underpinned by their progress in transformation to market-oriented economies, rising GDPs and living standards. The smallest markets in terms of paint demand, the Balkan countries Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania, are largely sustained by imports.

Architectural and decorative coatings for consumer and professional uses account for around 58% of the total market, although this proportion varies from country to country. This segment is predicted to evolve at a slow rate due to the slow pace of development of the construction industry in the region.

Growth is forecast to be highest in the industrial wood and plastic coatings segments. The industrial wood coatings segment in Central Europe is boosted by the development of the furniture sector in the region, supported by international demand. The use of plastic coatings is growing in the automotive and electronics sectors, attributable to the recent investment into these end-use industries and also the increasing usage of plastic materials in automobile and consumer electronics manufacturing.

A Profile of the Central European Paint Industry gives an insight into the market changes in the past few years, as well as outlining the key trends affecting the decorative and industrial coatings segments for each individual country covered. The scope of the study covers Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. It provides 2013 market data on nine mainstream paints and coatings segments: architectural/decorative, industrial wood coatings, protective coatings, marine coatings, automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinishes, powder coatings, general industrial coatings and plastic coatings. Forecasts on these are also presented for the year 2018.

For additional information, visit www.informationresearch.co.uk.