On the grounds of the Décryptis survey for the FPP (Fédération des Professionnels Piscine), 15% of French households living in single-family homes have a swimming pool, of which 1.47 million are in-ground swimming pools and 1.48 million are fixed above-ground swimming pools larger than 10 square meters. That means there is one swimming pool for every 38 people in France, which is the same level as Spain (1 in 37), but far ahead of Germany (1 in 112), Italy (1 in 180) or Portugal (1 in 105), thus confirming France's European pole position in terms of swimming pools installed in private homes.
2020 was a record-breaking year for the industry. In the first semester of 2020, the sales of above-ground and in-ground pools continued to grow in France. As the press release from the FPP published in November 2020 showed, pool sales were up 8.5%, and 5.5% more swimming pools were built in France. These impressive numbers are due to an increase in time spent at home as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Moreover, the construction of private swimming pools in Hauts-de-France has doubled in the last two years. Beyond Hauts-de-France, demand has surged across France, with the number of swimming pools increasing from 2.5 million in 2018 to 3 million in 2021. In the spring of 2021, the total revenue of the private swimming pool industry grew by 51%. Affected the first containment, the number of pool constructions jumped by 52.5% in the first half of 2021. Over the first 6 months of 2021, 55% of swimming pools sold, and the swimming pool market recorded an increase of 55% in value compared to the same period in 2020.
Until the data released by the FPP in October 2021, France owned nearly 3 million private swimming pools. Just as the preliminary forecasts from FPP, there will be almost 250,000 new swimming pools in French gardens by the end of 2021 (around 91,000 in-ground and 158,000 above-ground) to reach a total of over 3.2 million swimming pools.
At the beginning of 2020, the global economy was affected by COVID-19, but the heat pump industry became increasingly popular. French people are keen on decorating their courtyard and love sports by nature. More and more people are willing to spend time and money in their gardens. The study suggests that 4.5% of pool owners plan to purchase pool heat pumps shortly. Demand for pool heat pump wholesale in France is estimated to be between 100,000 and 120,000 units. And France soon will be the best and biggest market for pool heating equipment manufacturers in China.