Northern Ireland construction output remains high due to growth in housing subsector
Date published:
The Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Output Statistics, published today by NISRA, show that construction activity within Northern Ireland remains high in Quarter 1 2026 (January to March) driven by growth in the housing subsector.
Housing, which includes both new construction and repair and maintenance, grew by 7.6% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous quarter, and by 27.4% compared to the same time last year. Housing construction activity has experienced an overall upward trend since the last quarter of 2023, reaching a new 15 year high in the first quarter of 2026.
Key findings
- The total volume of construction output in Northern Ireland saw a slight downturn in the first quarter of 2026, dropping 1.0% below the 15 year high seen in Quarter 4 2025. This represents the first quarter of decline following three consecutive quarters of growth.
- Northern Ireland construction output, however, remains historically high and is currently 81.5% above the series low seen in Quarter 2 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and 23.0% above the pre-pandemic level seen in Quarter 4 2019.
- Since the first quarter of 2025, construction activity within Northern Ireland has grown by 10.1%. All three construction subsectors have experienced growth since Quarter 1 2025: Housing (27.4%), Infrastructure (3.9%) and Other work (0.7%).
- Over the year, the volume of New Work has increased by 18.6%, however, there has been a drop in Repair and Maintenance activity (2.5%) over the same period.
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