According to the authoritative survey in the "Stone 2000" report published by Gruppo Editoriale Faenza, world stone production in 1999 came to 110 million tons, which represents the gross of quarrying, including processing waste as well as off-cuts.
This figure highlights how the sector has achieved consistent growth in production over the past 30 years. Moreover, growth seems set to continue over the first 25 years of the new millennium, based on certain economic forecasts.