Germany’s natural stone branch has profited considerably from the sustained building boom: last year saw the inland consumption of stone finished products up some 11.7% to 2,202,626 t by volume, or 5.8% to 627,548 million € by value. In comparison 2013 figures were 1,971,671 t = 592,869 million € (see chart below).

Without a doubt, consumers in Europe’s currently strongest economic player value granite, marble, etc. as was recently stated in a press-release on the occasion of this year’s Stone+tec (May 13 – 16, 2015).
A rise in local production by +6.7% was overlapped by an increase in imports by +18.1%.
Perhaps these figures reflect a new phenomenon: i.e., the fact that architects are aspiring to obtain LEED-Certification for their buildings. This would imply that stone must originate from sources no farther than 800 km from the building site.

Noteworthy in particular: the rise of consumption of local marble or travertine: +25.4% as compared to the previous year.
The total value stone supplied by local producers barely exceeded one half the total consumption.

Deutscher Naturwerkstein-Verband, DNV (German)

(21.06.2015; USA: 06.21.2015)