Construct UK

MRA Building Market Reports (MRA Reports) latest update on the general builders’ merchant market, which includes a quarterly Pulse survey of builders’ merchant confidence, sales expectations and issues, shows that merchants’ single biggest problem in Q2 2026 – by some margin – was supplier price rises, mentioned by 55% of respondents.

Key points: Construction activity down markedly Input costs rise sharply again Employment continues to increase The latest AIB Ireland Construction PMI® data pointed to renewed falls in both total construction activity and new orders during June amid sharply rising prices and a market slowdown. Companies scaled back their purchasing activity as a result, but employment continued to rise as business confidence improved slightly.

The latest Market Report from international property and construction consultancy Gleeds suggests that geopolitics remains the dominant near-term concern for construction, with 39% of respondents ranking global conflicts as the biggest threat, although this is down from 50% last quarter. Interest rates, inflation and investor confidence remain the next key risks, each cited by around one in five respondents.

New report reveals poor product information is undermining productivity, housing delivery and building safety compliance.

Glenigan has released the July 2026 edition of its Construction Index, which focuses on the three months to the end of June 2026, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100 million or less (unless otherwise indicated), with all figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a report which provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a unique insight into sector performance over the last 12 months.

Key points: Construction activity picks up for second month running Robust improvement in new order intakes Year ahead growth outlook highest since survey began in January The headline index is the seasonally adjusted alrajhi capital Saudi Construction Index. This tracks changes in the total volume of construction activity compared with one month previously.

Key Findings: Sharp decline in activity coincides with solid reduction in new work Renewed drop in jobs sees strongest round of shedding in over six years Rate of input price inflation slows further, but remains elevated After having moved closer towards stabilisation in May, the Italian construction sector contracted at a sharper pace in June.

Key findings: Activity falls at weakest rate for three months as decline in orders slows Softer decreases in employment and purchasing activity Cost pressures remain elevated Germany’s construction sector remained in contraction in June, according to the latest S&P Global PMI® survey, albeit with the latest data showing slower rates of decline in total activity, new orders and employment. At the same time, firms were slightly less pessimistic about the outlook for activity.

Key Findings: Fastest decrease in commercial construction activity since May 2020 Demand for new building projects continues to deteriorate sharply Firms more pessimistic towards the outlook, even as cost pressures ease PMI® survey data from S&P Global continued to signal depressed business conditions in France’s construction sector. June saw a further sharp drop in demand for new building projects, leading activity levels to shrink rapidly once again.

Key findings: Contractions deepen across all three monitored segments Slowest fall in new orders in four months Cost inflation eases but remains historically elevated The eurozone construction sector recorded a further decline in activity in June, with the rate of contraction quickening from that seen a month prior, according to the latest S&P Global PMI® data. Output fell more steeply across all three monitored segments, led again by housing.