The bio-based construction materials sector is projected to grow by 16% by 2025.

With 11% market share by value and 8,2% by volume in the insulation market, bio-based materials are establishing themselves as an industrial response to the challenges of decarbonization, renovation and sovereignty.

A market that continues to grow despite a tense construction environment

In 2025, the French market for bio-based materials represents €97,7 million in revenue, compared to €91,6 million in 2023, an increase of 6,7%. In terms of volume, the growth is more pronounced: 32,7 million m² were implemented in 2025, compared to 28,2 million m² in 2023, representing a growth of 16%.

This trend is occurring within a still-constrained construction market and confirms the growing role of bio-based materials in building insulation. Bio-based insulation now represents 8,2% of the insulation market by volume, compared to 7,5% in 2024 and 6,4% in 2023. In terms of value, it accounts for 11% of the insulation market. This penetration has been steadily increasing over the last ten years, illustrated by a 126% growth in volume since 2016.

The product mix is ​​evolving: bio-based panels and concretes are gaining ground.

The barometer reveals a gradual transformation of the market structure.

Semi-rigid insulation dominates the market with 17,6 million m² installed in 2025, representing 54% of the volume, compared to 13,3 million m² (47%) in 2023. Their share of the product mix has been steadily increasing since 2021, when they accounted for 34% of the volume. Used primarily for interior wall, partition, and roof insulation, they are establishing themselves as the leading bio-based solution for building envelopes.

Loose-fill insulation remains the second largest product category on the market, with 10,7 million m², representing a 33% market share, compared to 12,5 million m² (44%) in 2023. This percentage decrease primarily reflects a diversifying market: the volume of loose-fill insulation used remains stable, while other product categories are gaining ground in new applications. Loose-fill insulation remains the benchmark bio-based solution for insulating attics.

Rigid insulation materials have practically doubled in two years: they represent 3,5 million m², or 11% of the market, compared to 1,8 million m² (6%) in 2023. They are mainly used in exterior wall insulation (EWI).

Finally, bio-based concretes increased by 50% in volume with 0,9 million m², representing 3% of the market share, compared to 0,6 million m² (2%) in 2023. Driven by off-site construction and the manufacture of exterior walls, they confirm their rise to power in a segment that was still emerging in 2016.

Bio-based materials in the regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Brittany on the podium

New to this edition, the barometer offers a first regional mapping of the volumes implemented, which reveals marked territorial dynamics.

In absolute volume, three regions stand out: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes concentrates 20% of national volumes, ahead of Brittany (12,7%) and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (10,8%), followed by Occitanie (9,9%), Grand Est (8,9%) and Pays de la Loire (7,7%).

When reported in m² implemented per inhabitant, Brittany comes out on top by a wide margin with 0,9 m² implemented per inhabitant, ahead of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (0,6 m²) and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (0,5 m²), demonstrating a particularly strong cultural and professional anchoring of bio-based solutions in these territories.

When volumes are related to the number of authorized dwellings, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté takes the lead with 181 m² per authorized dwelling, ahead of Brittany (136 m²) and Centre-Val de Loire (135 m²).

These figures illustrate the high integration of bio-based materials in new construction projects in these regions, linked to the presence of local industrial sectors, nearby agricultural and forestry resources and favorable professional dynamics.

A structured industrial sector, resource-efficient and rooted in the local areas

The sector currently comprises 20 production units and represents 4.000 direct and indirect jobs. It relies on renewable or recycled resources: wood, hemp, flax, grass, straw, cellulose wadding, recycled cotton and textiles, sheep's wool, and bio-based fibers. Current production utilizes approximately 2% of the annual supply of bioresources available in France, thus preserving considerable development potential.

In ten years, the sector has invested over €150 million in its industrial facilities. Its products are fully integrated into the building standards framework: European standards, Technical Approvals, NF-DTU, RE2020. Most display their bio-based content certified by a third party via the Bio-based Product Label.

Insulation and electrification: two complementary levers for energy efficiency

In a context where public policies strongly emphasize the electrification of energy uses, the AICB reiterates that the performance of the building envelope remains essential. Electrification can only be fully effective if buildings are properly insulated.

Bio-based materials address this dual challenge: they help reduce energy needs while storing biogenic carbon. Over ten years, the sector has enabled the storage of 2,3 million tons of CO₂, equivalent to the emissions from the construction of 3,5 million m² of RE2020 compliant housing. These solutions directly contribute to the objectives of RE2020, the national low-carbon strategy, and the Climate and Resilience Law, which mandates the use of bio-based or low-carbon materials in at least 25% of major renovations and public buildings by 2030.

According to Vincent Hannecart, President of the AICB: “The figures from this second barometer confirm the positive momentum of the bio-based materials market. The sector is structured, industrialized, and capable of meeting the needs of numerous building applications, both in new construction and renovation. In the current debate, electrification alone is insufficient; energy efficiency is essential. High-performance bio-based insulation makes it possible to achieve this efficiency today and thus addresses this societal challenge.”

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.