Construction statistics: sources and outputs

This document lists a variety of information and datasets on and related to the construction industry. These include output, new orders, employment, and structure of businesses. Other related information, for example, housing is also included under planning application and local authority expenditure.

These links include both Office for National Statistics (ONS) related publications alongside releases from other Government departments and other construction related organisations.

Output in the construction industry (Great Britain)

Construction output estimates are monthly estimates of the amount of output chargeable to customers for building and civil engineering work done in the relevant period, excluding VAT and payments to subcontractors. Output in the construction industry in Great Britain is split by sector, type of work, and region. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish monthly construction output for Great Britain at current price and chained volume measures, seasonally adjusted by public and private sector.

The sources for these outputs are Monthly Business Survey for businesses classified to construction according to Standard Industrial Classification.

Our output in the construction industry dataset and our archived outputs before 2015 are available for more information.

Our publications from February 2015 to present provide further information.

Output in the construction industry (Northern Ireland)

Construction activity measured by the Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Enquiry (QCE) includes general construction and demolition work, construction and repair of buildings, civil engineering, installation of fixtures and fittings and any other building completion work.

The source for this output is Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Enquiry.

Construction Output Statistics for Northern Ireland are available for more information.

Contribution to UK gross domestic product (GDP)

A measure of the contribution of the UK construction industry to the UK gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is one measure of national income and output for a given country’s economy.

Office for National Statistics output in the construction industry series and numerous other sources are used.

Gross domestic product (GDP) is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy. GDP is defined as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within the country in each period.

Our GDP Monthly Estimate release, GDP first quarterly estimate, GDP quarterly national accounts and UK National Accounts Blue Book releases provide more information on GDP outputs.

Comparison with European Union

Output and activity of the construction sector across the euro area are produced by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The production in construction shows the output and activity of the construction sector. It measures changes in the volume of output monthly. Construction includes building construction and civil engineering. The construction sector in total corresponds to the NACE Rev. 2 section F but the split between building construction and civil engineering is based on the Classification of types of Construction (CC1, CC2).

Eurostat provide an overview of construction production (volume) index.

The Eurostat release Construction production index (volume) index overview provides more information.

Comparison with the rest of the world

Organisation for Economic and Co-ordination Development (OECD) provides comparison with other countries construction output data. These are produced on a quarterly basis and indexed to 2015 =100.

The sources used are individual countries’ construction in production data.

The OECD database has more data related to the United Kingdom’s outputs.

Construction New Orders (Great Britain)

The new orders in construction dataset measures the value and volume of new orders of main contractors by type of work and region. The main users of these data are industry analysts of the UK construction industry, trade associations and other government departments.

The data are primarily sourced from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales by a private company called Barbour ABI. These local authorities are monitored daily to identify planning applications as soon as they are published.

The sources used are the New Orders in Construction Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) from the Office for National Statistics.

Our new orders in construction QMI and new orders in the construction industry dataset provide more information.

Structure of the industry (number of firms)

UK businesses broken down by location, industry, legal status and employment, and UK enterprise levels measured by turnover.

The sources used are our UK Business Activity, Size and Location dashboard.

Our release UK Firms Activity, Size and Location provides more information.

Insolvencies

'Insolvency' describes the inability of a debtor to pay its debts. Their specific aim is to recover all available assets so that they may be disposed of and the proceeds distributed to creditors to satisfy all debts to the greatest extent possible.

The Insolvency Service Official Statistics are available for more information.

Earnings (Average weekly earnings)

The Office for National Statistics publishes average weekly earnings (AWE) by industry as sourced from the Monthly Wages and Salaries Survey (MWSS). It is a lead indicator of short-term changes in earnings. Average weekly earnings for any given month are defined as the ratio of estimated total pay for the whole economy, divided by the total number of employees.

Our guide to labour market statistics is the source for this information.

Our average weekly earnings by industry dataset (EARN03 dataset) provides more information.

Prices (Construction Output Price indices)

Construction Output Price Indices (OPIs) measure the price level of work being executed in each period. The OPIs for Construction were originally devised to deflate construction output from current to constant levels but are also used in a range of statutory and contractual applications.

Our Construction Output Price Indices QMI and Construction Output Prices Indices dataset provide more information.

Prices (Building materials)

This provides information on selected building materials and contains monthly data on price indices, bricks, cement, and concrete blocks; and quarterly data on sand and gravel, slate, concrete roofing tiles and ready-mixed concrete.

Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)’s Construction material price indices overview and our Producer Price Inflation QMI are used as sources.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s release Building materials and components: monthly statistics and our Producer price inflation (PPI), UK Statistical bulletins provide more information.

Services Producer Price Index (SPPI)

The services producer price index (SPPI) is a business-cycle indicator which measures the gross change in the trading price of services. The SPPI captures price inflation for services closely associated to construction such as plant hire, architects, and surveyors’ costs.

Our Services Producer Price Indices (SPPI) user guidance and methodology are used as sources.

Our Services Producer Prices Index dataset provides more information.

Planning applications and local authority expenditure

A planning application is a formal request to a local authority for permission to build something new or to add something to an existing building. Local authority expenditure is public spending in a particular area controlled by the local authority.

The sources are used are the Planning Application Statistics, local authority revenue expenditure and financing from the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities and Ministry of Housing Communities.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s release on planning application statistics has more information.

House building, UK: permanent dwellings started and completed

This has data on starts and completions of new build dwellings in the UK, on a quarterly and annual basis (formerly produced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities).

Our Housing Analysis Statistics are used to source this information.

Our dataset House building, UK: permanent dwellings started and completed has more information.

Dwelling stock by tenure, UK

This link has the number of dwellings in the UK, and dwelling stock data by tenure for the UK’s constituent countries, where available. These statistics were formerly produced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Our Housing Analysis Statistics were used to source this information.

Our dataset Dwelling stock by tenure, UK has more information.

Subnational estimates of dwellings by tenure, England

This provides tenure estimates for dwellings at the local authority district level in England for 2012 to 2020.

Our Housing Analysis Statistics were used to source this information.

Our Subnational estimates of dwellings by tenure, England dataset has more information.