National statistics

Construction building materials: commentary, March 2024

Published 10 April 2024

Coverage: United Kingdom (UK) and Great Britain (GB) - country and region

1. Headline findings

Headline findings in this edition of the publication are that:

• the material price index for ‘All Work’ decreased by 1.9% in February 2024 compared to February 2023
• deliveries of bricks decreased by 9.3% in February 2024 compared to February 2023
• deliveries of blocks decreased by 7.5% in February 2024 compared to February 2023

Download figure 1 data

2. Introduction

This commentary accompanies the latest monthly statistics of building materials and components data tables published on 10 April 2024. It provides an overview of recent trends in the data presented in the tables. The data tables present the latest detailed information on selected building materials and components. They cover the following materials:

• construction material price indices (monthly, UK)
• sand and gravel sales (quarterly, GB and regions)
• concrete roofing tiles production, deliveries and stocks (quarterly, GB)
• ready-mixed concrete deliveries (quarterly, UK)
• slate production, deliveries and stocks (quarterly, GB)
• cement and clinker production, deliveries and stocks (annual, GB)
• bricks production, deliveries and stocks (monthly, GB and regions)
• concrete building blocks production, deliveries and stocks (monthly, GB and regions)
• values of overseas imports and exports trades for selected materials and components for use in construction (quarterly, UK)
• value of European Union (EU) and Non-EU Trade for selected materials and components for use in construction (annual, UK)

These statistics support analysis of the construction materials market and business planning. They are regularly reported in the construction press and are used for a variety of purposes, including policy development, evaluation and monitoring market trends. For further details see the section headed 8.5 Uses of these statistics.

3. Summary of results

3.1 Material price indices

Download figure 2 data

Table 1: Construction material price indices, year-on-year and month-on-month percentage change

Material price indices	February 2023 to February 2024	January 2024 to February 2024
New housing	-0.6	0.2
Other new work	-3.0	-0.1
Repair and maintenance	-1.4	0.0
All work	-1.9	0.1

Download table 1 data

The material price index for ‘All work’:

• decreased by 1.9% in February 2024 compared to February 2023
• decreased by 1.6% in January 2024 compared to January 2023
• increased by 0.1% in February 2024 compared to January 2024
• decreased by 0.2% in January 2024 compared to December 2023

Table 2: Construction materials experiencing the greatest price increases and decreases in the 12 months to February 2024, UK

Construction materials	(% change)
Pipes and fittings (flexible)	20.3
Metal doors and windows	17.0
Ready-mixed concrete	11.1
Gravel, sand, clays and Kaolin - incl aggregate levy	-11.5
Fabricated structural steel	-15.8
Concrete reinforcing bars (steel)	-18.2

Download table 2 data

The aggregated construction material price indices hide larger price movements for some specific products and materials, table 2 shows the 3 largest increases and the 3 largest decreases.

3.2 Cement and clinker

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Production of cement:

• decreased by 6.8% to 8.4 million tonnes in 2022 compared to 9.0 million tonnes in 2021
• increased by 12.0% in 2021 compared to 2020

Production of clinker:

• decreased by 2.8% to 7.2 million tonnes in 2022 compared to 7.4 million tonnes in 2021
• increased by 6.1% in 2021 compared to 2020

3.3 Sand and gravel

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According to the seasonally adjusted data, sales of sand and gravel:

• decreased by 0.7% in Quarter 4 2023 compared to Quarter 3 2023
• decreased by 9.2% in Quarter 3 2023 compared to Quarter 2 2023
• decreased by 15.0% in Quarter 4 2023 compared to Quarter 4 2022
• decreased by 17.5% in Quarter 3 2023 compared to Quarter 3 2022
• after recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2022 the general trend has been of a decline
• have consistently remained below levels typically seen before the recession of 2008 to 2009

3.4 Concrete

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According to the seasonally adjusted data, ready mixed concrete sales:

• decreased by 3.1% in Quarter 4 2023 compared to Quarter 3 2023
• decreased by 8.7% in Quarter 3 2023 compared to Quarter 2 2023
• decreased by 8.1% in Quarter 4 2023 compared to Quarter 4 2022
• decreased by 11.4% in Quarter 3 2023 compared to Quarter 3 2022
• recovered steadily since Quarter 2 2012 after the 2008 to 2009 recession, until the drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• have been declining since 2021

3.5 Bricks

Download figure 6 data

According to the seasonally adjusted data, bricks deliveries:

• decreased by 9.3% in February 2024 compared to February 2023
• decreased by 9.2% in January 2024 compared to January 2023
• decreased by 0.9% in February 2024 compared to January 2024
• increased by 6.3% in January 2024 compared to December 2023
• have been declining since 2022
• grew from 2013 until 2022, interrupted only by the sharp decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• declined during the recession of 2008 to 2009

3.6 Blocks

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According to the seasonally adjusted data, blocks deliveries:

• decreased by 7.5% in February 2024 compared to February 2023
• increased by 3.5% in January 2024 compared to January 2023
• increased by 6.6% in February 2024 compared to January 2024
• increased by 16.0% in January 2024 compared to December 2023
• grew from 2013 until 2020, interrupted only by the sharp decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• declined during the recession of 2008 to 2009
• have been declining since 2021

3.7 Imports and exports of construction materials

Download figure 8 data

Exports of construction materials:

• decreased by £92 million in Quarter 4 2023 compared to Quarter 3 2023, from £2,147 million to £2,055 million, a decrease of 4.3%
• decreased by £91 million in 2023 compared to 2022, from £8,650 million to £8,559 million, a decrease of 1.0%

Imports of construction materials:

• decreased by £245 million in Quarter 4 2023 compared to Quarter 3 2023, from £5,604 million to £5,359 million, a decrease of 4.4%
• decreased by £2,448 million in 2023 compared to 2022, from £25,196 million to £22,748 million, a decrease of 9.7%

The trade deficit of construction materials:

• contracted by £153 million in Quarter 4 2023 compared to the previous quarter, from £3,457 million to £3,305 million, a decrease of 4.4%
• contracted by £2,357 million in 2023 compared to 2022, from £16,547 million to £14,189 million, a decrease of 14.2%

Table 3: Top-5 exported construction materials in 2023

Top-5 exported materials	£ (million)
Electrical wires	1,023
Paints and varnishes	862
Lamps and fittings	422
Air conditioning equipment	419
Linoleum floor coverings	360

Download table 3 data

The top 5 exported materials in 2023 accounted for 36.1% of total construction material exports.

Table 4: Top-5 imported construction materials in 2023

Top-5 imported materials	£ (million)
Electrical wires	2,756
Lamps and fittings	1,090
Sawn wood and 6mm thick	1,024
Air conditioning equipment	994
Builders ironmongery	915

Download table 4 data

The top 5 imported construction materials in 2023 accounted for 29.8% of total construction material imports.

Table 5: UK trade of construction materials with EU and non-EU countries, 2023

Trade	EU	Non-EU	Total
Exports £ (million)	5,149	3,410	8,559
Exports (% of total trade)	60.2	39.8	100.0
Imports £ (million)	12,998	9,750	22,748
Imports (% of total trade)	57.1	42.9	100.0

Download table 5 data

Looking at the UK construction materials trades with the EU:

• the total share of exports going to the EU declined from 60.9% in 2022 to 60.2% in 2023
• the total share of imports coming from the EU increased from 54.6% in 2022 to 57.1% in 2023
• in 2019, prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and the COVID-19 pandemic, the share of total exports going to the EU was 62.1%, whilst the share of total imports coming from the EU was 60.6%

Table 6: Top 5 UK export markets for construction materials in 2023

Top-5 export markets	£ (million)
Ireland	1,558
USA	1,011
Germany	753
Netherlands	651
France	554

Download table 6 data

The top 5 export markets comprised 52.9% of total construction materials exports in 2023. Ireland is the largest export market, with a share of 18.2% of total exports.

Table 7: Top 5 UK import markets for construction materials in 2023

Top-5 import markets	£ (million)
China	4,538
Germany	2,139
Italy	1,312
Spain	1,259
Turkey	1,061

Download table 7 data

The top 5 import markets comprised 45.3% of total construction materials imports in 2023. Around 19.9% of all imports are from China.

The ‘Rotterdam Effect’ (also known as the ‘Antwerp Effect’) may affect trade figures. This is explained in detail by HMRC.

4. Economic background

4.1 Construction output

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published estimates of construction output for January 2024 on 13 March 2024.

Key points:

• construction output is estimated to have decreased 0.9% in the 3 months to January 2024; this came solely from a decrease in new work (4.5% fall), as repair and maintenance increased by 4.0%
• the decrease over the 3 months came from infrastructure new work and private housing new work, which fell 9.3% and 5.2%, respectively; with the main positive contributions coming from non-housing repair and maintenance, and private housing repair and maintenance, which increased 3.2% and 3.3%, respectively
• monthly construction output is estimated to have increased 1.1% in volume terms in January 2024; this follows 3 consecutive monthly falls, with the monthly value in levels terms at £15,422 million in January 2024
• the increase in monthly output came from increases in both new work (1.1%) and repair and maintenance (1.2%)
• at the sector level, 6 out of the 9 sectors saw a rise in January 2024; the main contributors to the monthly increase were private new housing, and non-housing repair and maintenance, which increased 2.6% and 1.9%, respectively

4.2 Bank of England summary of business conditions

The Bank of England published its most recent update to the Agents’ Summary of Business Conditions on 21 March 2024, covering intelligence gathered in the 6 weeks to mid-February 2024.

Key points:

• construction output volumes continue to fall
• most now anticipate sentiment to begin to improve in the latter part of the year, although as in other sectors this is contingent on reductions in Bank Rate
• as projects complete, the number of new orders remains weak
• concerns about insolvency risks remain high and continue to delay current and new development schedules
• house building has fallen markedly over the last year, although the pace of decline is slowing
• commercial development continues to slow, though not to the extent seen in the housing sector
• the infrastructure sector has seen more deferrals and cancellations of large new projects
• those contacts with projects that already have consent may see a pickup late in the year
• contacts cite slow and increasingly complex planning applications and approvals as a likely drag on the pace of growth

4.3 Business insights

The ONS published further information from their fortnightly Business insights and impact on the UK economy on 21 March 2024, which was live from 4 to 17 March 2024.

4.4 Gross domestic product estimate

ONS published estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for January 2024 on 13 March 2024.

Key points:

• monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 0.2% in January 2024, following a fall of 0.1% in December 2023
• real GDP is estimated to have fallen by 0.1% in the 3 months to January 2024, compared with the 3 months to October 2023
• services output grew by 0.2% in January 2024 and was the largest contributor to the rise in GDP, but in the three months to January 2024 services output showed no growth
• production output fell by 0.2% in January 2024, and in the 3 months to January 2024 production output also fell by 0.2%
• construction output grew by 1.1% in January 2024, but in the 3 months to January 2024 construction output fell by 0.9%

4.5 Gross domestic product forecast

The latest monthly Consensus Economics forecast survey (which uses an average of private sector forecasts) results were published in March 2024:

• the mean GDP forecast for 2024 is 0.2%, down from 0.3% in the previous month’s forecast
• the mean GDP forecast for 2025 is 1.1%, unchanged from the previous month’s forecast

The Office for Budget Responsibility published a new Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 6 March 2024:

• GDP was expected to grow by 0.8% in 2024 (up from 0.7% in the November 2023 forecast)
• GDP was expected to grow by 1.9% in 2025 and 2.0% in 2026

4.6 Construction output forecasts

Experian published their Winter 2024 forecasts for the construction sector in December 2023.

Key points:

• total construction output is projected to remain static in 2023, then increase by 0.3% in 2024 and 2.8% in 2025
• the housing sector is expected to decline by 13.4% in 2023, then increase by 1.7% in 2024 and 5.3% in 2025
• repair, maintenance and improvement (RM&I) is forecast to decline by 4.8% in 2023, then by 0.7% in 2024 and grow by 2.5% in 2025
• the new infrastructure sector is expected to grow by 5.9% in 2023, decrease by 0.2% 2024 and grow by 2.0% in 2025
• the private industrial sector is expected to grow by 0.3% in 2023, decline by 6.6% in 2024 and rise by 0.9% in 2025
• the public non-residential sector is forecast to grow by 6.6% in 2023, and decline by 0.1% in 2024 and 2025

The Construction Products Association (CPA) published their Construction industry forecasts for Winter 2024 in January 2024.

Key points:

• the CPA forecasts construction output to fall by 2.1% in 2024, before growing by 2.0% in 2025
• private housing is expected to fall by 4.0% in 2024 and grow by 3.0% in 2025
• infrastructure output is expected to fall, albeit by only 0.5% in 2024, before growth of 1.2% in 2025

4.7 Manufacturing

The latest Index of Production data for January 2024 were published on 13 March 2024 by ONS.

Key points for the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 23.1-4/7-9 industry (includes manufacture of bricks, tiles and other construction products, seasonally adjusted):

• when comparing January 2024 with January 2023, output decreased by 14.6
• when comparing January 2024 with December 2023, output increased by 1.8%

Key points for the SIC 23.5-6 industry (includes the manufacture of concrete, cement and other products for construction purposes, seasonally adjusted):

• when comparing January 2024 with January 2023, output decreased by 22.8%
• when comparing January 2024 with December 2023, output increased by 39.0%

5. Accompanying tables

The most recently published data tables (available in Excel and open document spreadsheet (ODS) format) can be found in the attached documents at Building Materials and Components statistics.

All data used in this report for charts and tables are also available for users to download in the ‘Construction building materials: data for charts and table, March 2024’ document (ODS format).

Past editions of the statistics from 2005 to 2010, 2011 and 2012 onwards can be found at the National Archives website.

Requests for older data should be sent to business.statistics@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

6. Technical information

1. Following a review of building materials statistics in 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) commissioned the ONS Methodology Advisory Service (MAS) to address some of the recommendations.
2. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) use administrative sources to produce Overseas Trade Statistics. A statement of administrative sources used to compile construction material trade statistics is available on the Building Materials and Components webpage. Separately, HMRC also have a statement of administrative sources which covers overseas trade statistics.
3. Since the UK left the EU, there have been changes in the trade data collection methods, for more information see the ONS impact of trade in goods data collection changes on UK trade statistics.

6.1 Seasonal adjustment

Following advice from the MAS, and the results of a consultation (see the results of the BIS consultation on seasonal adjustment for more detail), BIS agreed to publish seasonally adjusted data for the following series:

• sand and gravel, total sales
• concrete blocks, all types deliveries
• bricks, all types deliveries
• ready-mixed concrete, deliveriessss

For initial publication of seasonally adjusted data, data from 1983 onwards was seasonally adjusted. Subsequently, for each monthly publication, data up to 12 months or 4 quarters prior to the new data point is revised. Upon the completion of each year’s data series, data for the previous 12 years is revised. The department publishes both non-seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted data in the tables of this publication. From the June 2015 edition this publication has used seasonally adjusted data in the commentary for these series.

The seasonal adjustment review is carried out yearly. The purpose of correcting the reported series is to update seasonal factors such as winter weather (including the reduction in hours of daylight, and frost and rain) and other seasonal events such as Christmas and Easter. Thus, seasonally adjusted figures show the underlying trend more clearly.

6.2 Response rate

The following table gives a summary of response rates related to some of the latest survey results. Where the response rate is less than 100%, estimates are made for missing values.

For latest data used	Bulletin table number	Response rate
Quarterly sand and gravel	4 and 5	80%
- Quarterly sand and gravel – land won	4 and 5	78%
- Quarterly sand and gravel – marine dredged	4 and 5	90%
Quarterly concrete roofing tiles	6	57%
Quarterly slate	7	100%
Monthly bricks data	9 and 10	96%
Monthly concrete blocks	11 and 12	88%

7. Definitions

Term	Description
Production	Products completed and ready for dispatch
Deliveries	Sold products which have left the premises
Stocks	Manufacturer’s stocks
Sand and gravel- land won	Sand and gravel from pits and quarries, including that derived from beaches and rivers
Sand and gravel- marine dredged	Sand and gravel derived from seas and estuaries

8. Further information

8.1 Future updates to these statistics

The next publication in this series will be on 1 May 2024.

8.2 Pre-release access

Pre-release access is not granted for this publication.

8.3 Related statistics

1. Construction statistics: sources and outputs lists the known sources of information available on the construction industry and their outputs. These include information on employees, employment, enterprises, output and new orders in the construction industry as well as the contribution of the industry to the economy.

Related information, for example housing, is also included.

2. The Construction Statistics Annual brings together a wide range of statistics currently available on the construction industry from a variety of sources and provides a broad perspective on statistical trends in the construction industry, with some international comparisons.

3. In its monthly Index of Production (IoP) publication, the ONS publishes Gross Value Added (seasonally adjusted, UK) data for the following 2 industries:

• SIC 23.1-4/7-9 industry, which includes the manufacture of bricks, tiles and other construction products
• SIC 23.5-6 industry, which includes the manufacture of concrete, cement and other products for construction purposes

These data are not directly comparable with the data in this bulletin, due to differences in coverage and methodology. They are nevertheless useful in illustrating the latest output trends of related construction materials as measured by the ONS.

8.4 Revisions policy

1. Our revisions policy is on the DBT standards for official statistics webpage.
2. Data can be revised for a number of reasons, including receipt of more data, methodology changes and corrections. Data subject to scheduled revisions are published as provisional. The period for which data are provisional differs depending on material type and is indicated in each table, either by use of [p] markers or in footnotes. When provisional data become final, [p] markers are removed.
3. For unscheduled revisions, no revision marker is added, though in the case of substantial revisions a note will be added at the top of the revised table and in the ‘Revisions’ section of the ‘Contents’ tab in the table file.
4. Users should download the latest edition of the publication to ensure they have the most up-to-date tables.

8.5 Uses of these statistics

The Building Materials and Components statistics are used for a variety of purposes, including policy development and evaluation concerning the construction products industry, as well as monitoring market trends. In a wider context, the figures are regularly reported in the construction press to facilitate market analysis and business planning for its wide range of readers. The statistics are also increasingly used by financial institutions for assessing market information and industry trends. For more information on the uses of the Building Materials statistics, their usefulness to users and users’ views on the quality of these statistics, see Section 3 of the Building Materials and Components review.

8.6 User engagement

Users are encouraged to provide comments and feedback on how these statistics are used and how well they meet user needs. Comments on any issues relating to this statistical release are welcomed and should be sent to: business.statistics@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

The Consultative Committee on Construction Industry Statistics (CCCIS) meets twice a year, chaired by the department, to discuss issues relating to the collection and dissemination of UK construction statistics. The CCCIS has a wide membership representing government, the construction industry and independent analysts. Minutes of previous CCCIS meetings are available on the Consultative Committee on Construction Industry Statistics (CCCIS) web page.

The department statement on statistical public engagement and data standards sets out the department’s commitments on public engagement and data standards as outlined by the Code of Practice for Statistics.

8.7 Accreditation of official statistics

Accredited official statistics were previously referred as National Statistics. Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR. OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by OSR in 2011. They comply with the OSR and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

Since the latest review by OSR, we have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements:

• carried out a public consultation and introduced publication of seasonally adjusted data on deliveries of sand and gravel, concrete blocks, bricks, and ready-mixed concrete

• in response to the cessation of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)’s Annual Minerals Raised Inquiry, which previously supplied the sampling frame for the land-won sand and gravel survey, we have:

  • changed the survey from sample survey to a census, increasing the panel from 200 sites to around 500 sites
  • refreshed the panel of sites annually using information from the British Geological Survey
  • made the survey statutory under the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, bringing it into line with the marine-dredged sand and gravel survey

• improved the design of the blocks survey, making it fully monthly instead of a mixture of monthly and quarterly data collection

• introduced the publication of the tables in an OpenDocument (ODS) spreadsheet, in addition to Microsoft Excel

• rebased all price indices series to 2015 = 100 in the November 2020 publication

• in February 2024 we have replaced the previous production process with a reproducible analytical pipeline and consolidated storage of historical data on new SQL databases

• redesigned tables to conform to The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 legislation

• redesigned the PDF commentary in HTML, which is more accessible particularly for readers using mobile devices

8.8 Contact

Responsible statistician: Pio Francesco Medolla
Email: business.statistics@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Media enquiries: +44 (0)20 7215 2000
Public enquiries: +44 (0)20 7215 2820

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