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Published: 15/05/2025
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes monthly estimates of the amount of construction output chargeable to customers for building and civil engineering work in Great Britain, split by sector and type of work.
Construction output flatlined in first quarter of the year
Construction output showed no growth between the final quarter of 2024 and first quarter of 2025, according to the latest ONS data(1). New work output was up by 0.9%, but a 1.2% decrease in repair and maintenance (R&M) output was enough to produce no overall movement.
On an annual basis, comparing 1Q2025 with 1Q2024, new work increased by 1.7% while R&M showed zero growth, producing an overall 0.9% rise in output.
Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: ‘While the whole economy showed slightly better than expected growth in the first quarter of this year – GDP grew by 0.7% – construction was much more subdued.
‘Rather than getting ‘Britain building again’ construction is stagnating and the government must take some positive steps to try and address this.
‘Hopefully the upcoming Spending Review and promised pipeline update will provide some solace for the sector.’
| Sector | Output in 1Q2025 compared with | |
| 4Q2024 | 1Q2024 | |
| New work | ||
| Public housing | -4.6 | -13.8% |
| Private housing | 1.4% | 3.3% |
| Infrastructure | 1.8% | -1.0% |
| Public other | 11.9% | 20.9% |
| Private industrial | 8.7% | 14.7% |
| Private commercial | -7.1% | -6.1% |
| All new work | 0.9% | 1.7% |
| Repair and maintenance | ||
| Public housing | -2.0% | 13.1% |
| Private housing | -1.9% | -11.0% |
| Non-housing | -0.4% | 6.8% |
| All R&M | -1.2% | 0.0% |
| All work | 0.0% | 0.9% |
Source: ONS – Construction output in Great Britain, volume, seasonally adjusted, by sector, Table 2a
Monthly output data
Construction output in March was broadly positive, with an overall increase of 0.5%: 0.6% in new work and 0.4% in R&M. The greatest monthly changes were in public new housing, which saw a 7.8% reduction in output compared with February, and public housing R&M, which increased by 5.4% in the same period.
On an annual basis, the greatest new work increases were in public other, which includes health and education projects, and private industrial, up by 20.8% and 17% respectively. Public housing R&M increased by 17.3% on March 2024, while private housing R&M declined by 12.9%.
| Sector | March 2025 compared with | |
| February 2025 | March 2024 | |
| New work | ||
| Public housing | -7.8% | -15.5% |
| Private housing | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| Infrastructure | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Public other | -3.8% | 20.8% |
| Private industrial | 2.0% | 17.0% |
| Private commercial | -0.9% | -7.1% |
| All new work | 0.6% | 2.4% |
| Repair and maintenance | ||
| Public housing | 5.4% | 17.3% |
| Private housing | -0.7% | -12.9% |
| Non-housing | 0.1% | 8.2% |
| All R&M | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| All work | 0.5% | 1.4% |
Source: ONS – Construction output in Great Britain, volume, seasonally adjusted, by sector, Table 2a
Source: ONS – Construction output in Great Britain, volume, seasonally adjusted, by sector, Table 2a
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(1) Office for National Statistics – Output in the construction industry - here
