Latest building materials and components statistics

Each month the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) publishes a selection of building materials and components data for Great Britain including statistics on bricks and concrete blocks production, deliveries and stocks⁽¹⁾.

Brick deliveries down as concrete block stocks reach two-year high

Provisional data published by DBT show brick deliveries (seasonally adjusted) in Great Britain decreased by 18.3% in the 12 months to February 2026. Deliveries in February were also down by 8.3% on January.   

Compared with pre-pandemic February 2019, seasonally adjusted brick deliveries in February 2026 were 34.5% lower.  

Stocks of all types of bricks at the end of February 2026 stood at 553.8 million, up by 21.7% on the end of February 2025 (454.9 million) and by 45.9% on the level in pre-pandemic February 2019 (379.5 million). 

^{Source: Department for Business and Trade – Building materials and components statistics, Table 9a}

DBT’s report also showed concrete block deliveries (seasonally adjusted) in Great Britain were down by 17.4% in the year to February 2026 but increased by 2.7% on a monthly basis. Compared with February 2019, deliveries were down by 27.7%.  

Total stocks of concrete blocks stood at 9.6 million square metres’ worth at the end of February, an increase of 42.8% on February 2025. This was the highest monthly level recorded since February 2024. 

Elsewhere, DBT data going back to 2013 show a longer-term decline in annual ready-mixed concrete deliveries and sand and gravel sales (both seasonally adjusted). 

In 2025, 11 million cubic metres of ready-mixed concrete were delivered in Great Britain – the lowest level in the published data. 

Compared with 2024, this was a 10.1% annual decrease and a decline of almost one-third on deliveries in pre-pandemic 2019 and 2015. 

Quarterly deliveries of ready-mixed concrete in 4Q2025 were the lowest on record, 2Q2020 excepted. 

^{Source: Department for Business and Trade – Building materials and components statistics, Table 4b} 

Meanwhile, annual sand and gravel sales hit a record low in 2025, down by 2.6% and 22.3% on the levels in 2024 and 2015 respectively.

^{Source: Department for Business and Trade – Building materials and components statistics, Table 4b} 

Economic data from the Mineral Productions Association (MPA) (3) indicate that demand for core construction materials is weak, with demand for key materials including concrete, aggregates and asphalt declining for the fourth consecutive year in 2025. 

MPA insights also highlighted a record 27% fall in annual materials sales volumes in the London market last year, including a notable downturn in demand for ready-mixed concrete.

‘Data from both the Mineral Products Association (MPA) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) highlight an alarming, long-term decline in demand for key construction materials,’ said BCIS chief economist Dr David Crosthwaite.

‘Root causes include persistent constraints on investment in new construction, viability challenges and a lack of momentum in projects where clients and funders have committed to starting on site.

‘Many suppliers and contractors had been hoping for economic and regulatory pressures to ease in the new year. While some progress has been made, particularly by the Building Safety Regulator, the longer-term disruption caused by geopolitical tensions, input cost inflation and client risk aversion presents significant challenges, further weighing on an already weak demand base.

‘It is crucial, in this period of renewed instability, that the government does everything in its power to support and stimulate construction demand. At the same time, clients and contractors must work more collaboratively to ensure cost transparency, set realistic project and programme timelines and maintain robust financial due diligence.’

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^{(1) Building materials and components statistics: March 2026  -  here}