Portuguese cement consumption fell 26.9% in 2012, according to Portugal's Federation for the Construction Industry (FEPICOP).
The year-on-year fall brought national cement consumption levels to their lowest level since 1973. The drop is said to echo the worsening situation for the country's construction sector. The number of unemployed workers in the industry reached 101,449 at the end of November 2012, an increase of 15.9% on 2011.
