Hungary Construction Output Falls at Softer Pace

Hungary’s construction output fell 0.4% year-on-year in February 2026, easing from an 11.4% decline in the previous month. The moderation in the overall decline was driven by a rebound in building construction, which rose 2.2% after falling 9.6% in January. At the same time, the downturn in civil engineering also eased to 6.3% from 14.5%, as a 37.6% surge in road and railway construction was partly offset by a 41.6% fall in utility projects. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, construction output rose by 4.9% in February, recovering sharply from an 8.7% drop in the preceding period. Over the January-February period, Hungary’s construction activity decreased by 5.7%.

Hungary’s construction output fell 11.4% year-on-year in January 2026, sharply reversing an 8.9% gain in the previous month. This marked the lowest reading since August 2025, as output in civil engineering works declined 14.5%, compared with a 10.5% jump previously. At the same time, building construction contracted 9.6%, down from an 8.4% increase in December 2025, weighed down by a significant 25.6% drop in road and railway construction, a major component of overall construction activity. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, construction output plunged 8.8%, following an upwardly revised 8.8% rise in the preceding period.

Hungary’s construction output rose by 8.9% year-on-year in December 2025, rebounding from a downwardly revised 4.1% decline in the previous month. Output in civil engineering works climbed by 10.5%, recovering from a 18.9% drop in November, mainly driven by a 53.8% surge in road and railway constructions. Meanwhile, building constructions increased at a softer pace at 8.4% from 10.4%. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, construction output grew by 6.7% in December, recovering from a 7.3% decrease in the preceding period. For the entire year of 2025, the total volume of construction output expanded by 2.8% compared to the previous year, with construction of buildings rising by 5.5%, while civil engineering fell by 0.9%