UK Construction Output Drops More than Estimated

UK construction output fell 1.8% year-on-year in May 2026, deepening from a 1.6% decline in the previous month and marking the seventh consecutive month of contraction. The drop was more severe than market expectations of a 1.1% decrease. New work dropped for an eighth straight month (-5.8% vs -5.5% in April), while growth in repair and maintenance eased to a five-month low (3.8% vs 3.9%). On a monthly basis, construction output was down 0.8%, far steeper than a 0.1% fall in April and pointing to the second successive month of drop. The weaker performance reflected a 2.1% decline in repair and maintenance activity even as new work edged up 0.2%. Despite the weak May reading, construction output rose 1.6% over the three months to May, indicating the third consecutive increase in the rolling three-month measure. Growth was supported by gains in both new work (1.1%) and repair and maintenance activity (2.1%).

UK construction output dropped 1.0% year-on-year in April 2026, worsening from a 0.3% decline in the previous month and marking the sixth consecutive month of contraction. However, the drop was less severe than market expectations of a 1.7% decrease. New work continued to weigh on activity, falling at a faster pace (-4.8% vs. -4.4% in March), while growth in repair and maintenance eased to a four-month low of 4.4% from 5.7%. On a monthly basis, construction output edged up 0.1%, slowing sharply from a 1.5% increase in March and representing the weakest expansion since December. The softer performance reflected a 0.3% decline in new work and slower growth in repair and maintenance activity (0.6%). Despite the weak April reading, construction output rose 1.6% over the three months to April, pointing the second consecutive increase in the rolling three-month measure. Growth was supported by gains in both repair and maintenance activity (3.4%) and new work (0.3%).

UK construction output fell 0.3% year-on-year in March 2026, easing from a 1.6% decline in the previous month and outperforming market estimates for a 2.5% drop. It was the fifth straight month of yearly contraction but the mildest in the sequence, with new work down the least in four months (-4.4% vs -6.1% in February) while repair and maintenance activity accelerated (5.7% vs 4.8%). On a monthly basis, construction output rose 1.5%, accelerating from 0.5% growth in February and marking the fastest growth since May 2024, amid increases in new work (2.0%) and repair and maintenance (0.8%). Over the three months to March, total construction output increased 0.4%, with repair and maintenance expanding by 3.4% while new work shrank 1.9%.