Glenigan Index of construction starts to end of March 2026

According to the latest Glenigan Index data – reporting on construction starts under £100m – the market is struggling to overcome a persistently weak economy.

• Work starting on-site declined by 17% compared to Q4, remaining 18% below 2025 levels.
• Residential construction starts dropped by 13% during the Index period and fell by 30% against 2025 figures.
• Non-residential project starts dipped by 5% against 2025 levels, falling by 15% against the preceding three months.
• Civils work starting on-site plummeted by 37% against Q4 and nosediving 34% against the previous year.

As above, Residential experienced a particularly poor period, according to Glenigan’s figures. Project starts declined by13% on the preceding three months and by almost a third (-30%) on 2025.

Drilling a little deeper, Glenigan data shows that private housing construction starts declined by 9% against the preceding three months and by 34% against the previous year. Social Housing starts were similarly depressed, dropping by roughly a quarter (-24%) against the preceding three months and by 16% against the previous year.

Sector Analysis – Non-Residential

According to Glenigan’s data, Offices were the only vertical to experience a growth spurt compared to the previous quarter, up 37%, to stand over two-thirds (+67%) above 2025 levels. This uptick in activity was primarily supported by the £50 million 105 Old Broad Street office development in the City of London.

The only other vertical to increase against the previous quarter was Retail, which rose 12% against the preceding three months. However, this modest leap wasn’t enough to bring it above last year’s results, falling 17% by comparison.

Hotel & Leisure and Education had a mixed period, with both falling by around a quarter (-25% and -24% respectively) compared to the previous quarter. However, both finished up when measured against last year, rising 1% and 23% respectively.

Elsewhere, performance plummeted. Industrial experienced an especially lacklustre period, nosediving by 36% against the preceding three months to stand 31% below the previous year.

Likewise, Health declined 16% against the preceding three months to stand 13% lower than the previous year. Community and Amenity project starts, which has recently posted positive results, is now in recession, falling by 37% against the preceding three months to stand 10% down against the previous year.

Sector Analysis – Civils

The bottom fell out of Civils, with work starting on-site cascading 37% against the preceding three months and falling 34% against the previous year.

Breaking it down, Infrastructure work starting on-site declined 32% against the preceding three months and declined by 37% on the previous year.

Similarly, Utilities declined 42% against the preceding three months and by 30% against the previous year.

The Regional Outlook

According to Glenigan’s regional data, the performance picture was inconsistent.

Once again, London was the standout performer, experiencing a strong performance, rising 26% against the preceding three months to stand 69% up against the previous year. This was underpinned by a strong performance from the Office sector, which helped drive growth in the region.

It was more of a mixed bag for some of the regions. Northern Ireland experienced a mixed performance, dipping 2% against the preceding three months to finish 37% up against the previous year.

The North East performed similarly, dropping 27% against the preceding three months to stand 16% up compared to 2025 levels.

It was a less positive story for the remainder of the UK. Particularly in the South West, where performance crashed, falling 47% against Q4 to stand 54% down against the previous year.

Not to be outdone in the disappointment stakes, the West Midlands also experienced a poor period, declining by 37% against the preceding three months to finish 39% lower than last year’s figures.

Finally, the South East performed poorly, declining 22% against the preceding three months to stand 27% down against the previous year.