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Published: 12/07/2024
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 up by 1.9% in May
Construction output increased by 1.9% in May 2024 compared with the previous month, according to the latest ONS data. New work output was up by 2.7%, while repair and maintenance (R&M) work increased by 0.8%.
On an annual basis, new work output in May 2024 was down by 4.0% on May 2023. R&M output was up by 7.7% on the same period.
In new work, there were annual decreases in all sectors apart from private commercial, with private housing, infrastructure and private industrial all showing at least a 6% fall in output.
The largest percentage increase in monthly output was in the public housing new work sector (6.8%), whilst on an annual basis R&M for non-housing projects indicated the largest increase (9.3%).
| Sector | % change May 2024 compared with | |
| April 2024 | May 2023 | |
| New work | ||
| Public housing | +6.8 | -2.2 |
| Private housing | +2.1 | -6.3 |
| Infrastructure | +3.5 | -6.9 |
| Public other | +5.3 | -1.1 |
| Private industrial | +2.7 | -6.6 |
| Private commercial | +0.4 | +2.8 |
| All new work | +2.7 | -4.0 |
| Repair and maintenance | ||
| Public housing | +1.2 | +3.0 |
| Private housing | -0.8 | +6.9 |
| Non-housing | +2.1 | +9.3 |
| All R&M | +0.8 | +7.7 |
| All work | +1.9 | -0.8 |
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
ONS cited the effects of the weather on construction activity in May, with the Met Office confirming it was the warmest May since records began in 1884.
Dr David Crosthwaite, Chief Economist at BCIS, said: ‘The monthly figures are positive after the 1.1% decline in output we saw last month, likely helped by better weather, but largely making up lost ground on previous months.
‘With private housing repair and maintenance the only sector showing a decline in May compared with April, it looks like cost-of-living issues are still at play.
‘Looking at the annual differences, new work is down almost across the board, with the exception of commercial. There’s still some way to go in terms of recovery.’
Across the wider economy, GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.4% in May, after showing no growth in April. As well as construction growing by 1.9%, services output increased by 0.3% and production output was up by 0.2%.
Dr Crosthwaite said: ‘The general election was announced at the end of May so it will be interesting to see whether there was an impact on June’s activity. The Met Office has said it was a drier than average month. Hopefully we’ll see output levels continue to climb.’
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