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 and block deliveries rose between July and August but remain low overall

Provisional data published by DBT show brick deliveries (seasonally adjusted) in Great Britain decreased by 10.1% in the 12 months to August 2026.

Deliveries were also down by 32.2% on the level in August 2019, before the pandemic, but had increased by 12.6% on the level in July 2026.

Stocks of all types of bricks at the end of August 2026 stood at 543 million, an increase of 11.7% on the end of August 2025 (486.3 million) and 39.2% on the level in pre-pandemic August 2019 (390.1 million).

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

DBT’s report showed concrete block deliveries (seasonally adjusted) in Great Britain in August 2026 also increased on the previous month by 5.9%. However, compared with the level in August 2025, deliveries had fallen by 6.5% and by 23.5% on August 2019.

Total stocks of concrete blocks stood at 8.8 million square metres’ worth at the end of August, an increase of 46.8% on August 2025 and 23.1% higher than the level in August 2019.

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

In 2Q2026, 9.3 million tonnes of sand and gravel were sold in Great Britain, the lowest level shown in the available data and below the previous record seen during the pandemic in 2020. Sales in the second quarter of 2026 were down by 9.2% on the year and by 36.6% compared with pre-pandemic 2Q2019.

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

Meanwhile, seasonally adjusted deliveries of ready-mixed concrete in 2Q2026 (2.6 million cubic metres worth) were down by 6.1% on 2Q2025 and by more than one-third on deliveries in the same quarter in 2019.

^{Source: Department for Business and Trade – Building materials and components statistics, Table 6a}

Sam Parkin, senior economist at BCIS, said: ‘While it’s positive to see some improvement in brick and block deliveries in August, volumes remain well below the levels seen before the pandemic and continue to point to subdued demand for construction work.

‘Pricing pressures are being felt across construction supply chains – not just by construction businesses, but by domestic manufacturers and producers too. The government is trying to support industry by subsidising energy bills but it should also heed calls to avoid placing additional pressures on businesses at the Autumn Budget.

‘Construction and the wider economy need domestic supply chains to be available if demand recovers. While demand is subdued across much of the market at the moment, activity is expected to pick up next year.

‘If supplier capacity continues to reduce now, it may be difficult to bring it back quickly if demand strengthens. Reduced supply could also create further pricing pressures, particularly if shortages or longer lead times emerge for certain products. With other constraints already affecting the construction industry, maintaining resilient domestic supply chains will be essential to supporting growth in construction output.’

In a submission to the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Budget, the Mineral Products Association (MPA) called for no further tax increases on the industry, alongside measures to stimulate housebuilding and prevent infrastructure projects from being shelved⁽²⁾.

The call comes as MPA analysis indicates that construction materials sales are heading for a fifth consecutive year of decline, with producers reporting job losses and site closures.

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

^{(2) MPA – Budget 2026: “Go for growth, no more taxes” Chancellor told  -  here}