February 2023 Construction Output Increases 2.4% says ONS

MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT is estimated to have increased 2.4% in volume terms in February 2023.

This is according to the latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The monthly rise in February 2023 follows a 1.7% fall in January 2023, with February 2023 being the highest monthly value at £15,558 million, since records began in 2010.

The increase in monthly construction output came from rises in both repair and maintenance (4.5%) and new work (1.1%) on the month.

Anecdotal evidence suggested several reasons for the increase in February 2023. Reasons for the rise included a bounce back from the fall in January 2023, and continued strength across repair and maintenance sectors. Additionally, many firms also noted an improvement of weather in February, which allowed them to get more work done.

Repair and Maintenance

At the sector level, eight out of the nine sectors saw a rise in February 2023, with the main contributors to the monthly increase seen in private housing repair and maintenance, and non-housing repair and maintenance, which increased 5.0% and 3.7%, respectively.

Quarterly Increase

Alongside the monthly increase, construction output saw an increase of 0.9% in the three months to February 2023; this is the sixth period of consecutive growth in the three-month-on-three-month series. Again, the increase came solely from a rise in repair and maintenance (3.1%), as new work saw a decrease (0.5% fall).

The main positive contributors to the increase in the three months to February 2023 were non-housing repair and maintenance (5.5%) and infrastructure new work (2.8%). Meanwhile, the main negative contributor across the quarter was private new housing (4.4% fall), despite the increase on the month. Anecdotal evidence suggested a general slowdown in housing across recent months accounting for the reduced activity.

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