The Russian cement industry: new market configuration, technological sustainability, and future growth points

This article examines the current state of the Russian cement industry in the context of changes in the investment and construction cycles, declining production of basic building materials, and a changing demand structure.

In 2025, the overall size of work in the Construction sector in the Russian Federation (in comparable prices) increased by 2.5 %, while the production of "other non-metallic mineral products," which includes cement, concrete, and aggregates, decreased by 8.3 %. This divergence reflects the difference between the total cost of construction work and the physical demand for material-intensive stages of construction.

The structure of housing construction is changing. Over the past decade, the share of multiapartment buildings in the total housing construction has declined, while individual housing construction (IHC) has become the dominant component of the industry. In 2025, the share of individual housing construction reached 59 %, and by the end of the first quarter of 2026, 67 %.

The share of building materials in the price per 1 square meter in the primary housing market decreased from 37 % in 2019 to 21 % in 2025.

The share of cement trucking in total shipments is growing, which signifies the increasing importance of local, cost-effective delivery routes, rapid response to changes, terminal infrastructure, flexibility in the formation of cement shipments, and the ability to cope with more fragmented demand.

Therefore, the cooling of the cement market observed in 2025 and early 2026 is not an isolated sectoral event; it reflects a broader restructuring of the construction economy. For cement companies, the next development cycle will largely be linked to technological resilience, cost discipline, product mix management, logistical flexibility, and a better understanding of regional demand patterns.