1.1. The world furniture market
World production of furniture is worth about US$ 347 billion2. This estimate is based on CSIL processing of data from official
sources, both national and international, that cover the 70 most important countries.
Figure 1 World furniture production

Source: CSIL 
The seven major industrial economies (which are, in order of furniture production, the United States, Italy, Germany, Japan,
France, Canada and the United Kingdom) together produce about  US$ 131 billion. The furniture production of all high
income countries combined covers 52% of the world total.
Furniture production in middle and low income countries currently amounts to 48% of the world total in value. There are three
countries (China, Poland and Vietnam) where production is increasing rapidly thanks to recent investments in new plants
especially designed and built for exports. 
World furniture trade basically involves 70 countries, which  are the subject of this report and of the World Furniture
Indicators. The leading importers are the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The major exporters are
China, Italy, Germany and Poland.

Figure 2  Four major furniture importing countries. Imports, 2000 - 2010.
Current US$ billion

In the 2000-2007 period there was a very large increase in the imports of the United States (from US$ 15 billion to US$ 26
billion in current dollars) and of the United Kingdom (from US$ 3 billion to US$ 9 billion in current dollars), and smaller
increases in France and Germany. The recession in the US caused a substantial decrease in furniture imports (from US$ 26
billion in 2007 to about US$ 24 billion in 2008 and 19 billion in 2009). Growth of imports resumed in 2010.

Figure 3  Four major furniture exporting countries. Exports, 2000 - 2010.
Current US$ billion

The most important structural phenomenon of the past decade was the increased degree of openness of the furniture
markets (measured as the ratio between imports and consumption), which for the entire world rose from 24% in 2000 to 31%

in 2007. In 2008 and 2009 the imports/consumption ratio has decreased substantially as a consequence of the recession.

1.2. The world economy and world trade of furniture in 2011 and 2012
The World Furniture Outlook assumes that the international scenario in 2011 and 2012 will be as follows:

Table 1 Evolution of world GDP.
Annual percentage change in real terms

World trade of furniture (in current US dollars) amounted to US$ 95 billion in 2009 (20% below the previous year), grew by
8% in 2010 and is expected to grow by 7% in 2011 and by 7% in 2012.

Figure 4
World trade of furniture.
Current US$ billion and annual percentage changes

Source: CSIL
* Projected

To know more: www.worldfurnitureonline.com; www.csilmilano.com
Press office: Paola Govoni e-mail: govoni@csilmilano.com