Northern Ireland construction output falls for second consecutive quarter

September 24, 2026 The Belfast Desk 1 Comment

Northern Ireland construction output fell by 1.7% in the second quarter of 2026, marking a second consecutive quarterly decline, according to figures published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

Northern Ireland construction output illustrated by work on Belfast Grand Central Station — Belfast Grand Central Station under construction in February 2023. Photo: FundTheNINE / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Despite the latest fall, the volume of work carried out between April and June was 3.5% higher than in the same period last year. Output remained 17.5% above its level in the final quarter of 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Northern Ireland construction output: new work declines

The figures show a 5.1% quarterly fall in new work, while repair and maintenance output rose by 6.7%.

Housing output fell by 1.9% compared with the previous quarter, and other work declined by 0.5%. Infrastructure was the exception, rising by 6.3%. All three subsectors remained above their levels a year earlier.

Output remains near recent high

NISRA said construction output was 4.9% below the 15-year high recorded in the final quarter of 2025. The latest figures cover construction activity carried out in Northern Ireland; they do not include work by Northern Ireland firms elsewhere.

The most recent estimates are provisional and may be revised as further information becomes available. The full bulletin and tables are available from NISRA.