Construction output in Northern Ireland remains high despite a fall in the first two quarters of 2026
Date published:
The Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Output Statistics, published today by NISRA, show construction output within NI remains high across all sectors in the second quarter of 2026.
Despite experiencing a decline in the first half of 2026, the overall upward trend over the previous three years and the peak reached in Quarter 4 2025, mean the volume of construction output in Northern Ireland remains historically high.
Key findings
- The total volume of construction output in Northern Ireland decreased by 1.7% over the second quarter of 2026 (April to June). This is the second decrease following three consecutive quarters of growth.
- Northern Ireland construction output, however, remains historically high and is currently 73.4% above the series low seen in Quarter 2 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and 17.5% above the pre-pandemic level seen in Quarter 4 2019.
- Since the second quarter of 2025, construction output in Northern Ireland has grown by 3.5%. All three construction subsectors have experienced growth, with Housing increasing by 2.1%, Infrastructure by 6.3% and Other Work by 2.4%.
- Over the year, the volume of New Work construction has increased by 2.4%, while Repair and Maintenance has increased by 5.1%.
About this publication
The Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Output Statistics, which are Accredited Official Statistics, provide a timely measure of the quarterly and annual changes in the volume and value of construction activity carried out within Northern Ireland. When making comparisons between time periods, estimates are presented as constant prices (volume measures) and seasonally adjusted, as appropriate, to provide better estimates of the overall trend.
These estimates are calculated from the Quarterly Construction Enquiry (QCE) element of the Quarterly Business Survey (QBS). They exclude work carried out by Northern Ireland Construction firms in other parts of the UK or elsewhere.
Further information
Read the full report: Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Bulletin
View background information and data tables: Construction output statistics