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Published: 12/02/2026
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes quarterly data(1) measuring the value and volume of main contractors’ new orders in Great Britain by sector and type of work. Its intention is to provide a forward-looking snapshot of both current confidence and potential future activity in the construction industry.
New orders in 2025 beat previous year’s total
Total construction new orders in 2025 were up by 12.6% on 2024, with £46.9 billion worth of work committed to, according to the latest ONS data.
Orders for infrastructure work saw the strongest growth, rising by 46.8% between 2024 and 2025. Conversely, private housing new orders fell by 10.4% in the same period – the only sector to experience a decrease.
Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: ‘New orders data should be viewed with caution. While the 2025 figures seem promising and suggest there was a relatively stable pipeline of work, output data suggest a different story.
‘The new orders series is known for being volatile and, in light of other industry barometers measuring supply and demand, is not a guarantee of output. That said, it does reiterate the weaker performance of the private residential market overall last year, reinforcing the continued need for regulatory reform and government support in stimulating first-time buyer demand.’
Quarterly new orders data show £11.9 billion worth of construction work was committed to in 4Q2025, a 3.8% decrease on the previous quarter.
New orders for public non-housing work, excluding infrastructure, rose by 52.1% on the quarter while private industrial orders saw a 32.6% fall.
On 4Q2024, new orders in the final quarter of 2025 were up by 28.6%. Public housing new orders almost doubled in the 12 months to 4Q2025 while new infrastructure orders saw growth of 70.1%.
| Sector | New orders in 4Q2025 compared with | |
| 3Q2025 | 4Q2024 | |
| Housing public | 17.1% | 99.6% |
| Housing private | 13.5% | 2.4% |
| Infrastructure | 9.8% | 70.1% |
| Public – other new work | 52.0% | 43.8% |
| Private industrial | -32.6% | 56.8% |
| Private commercial | -25.2% | 6.5% |
| All new work | -3.8% | 28.6% |
Source: ONS – New Orders for construction: volume seasonally adjusted growth rates, by main contractor, by sector, constant prices, Table 2
Source: ONS – New Orders for construction: volume seasonally adjusted growth rates, by main contractor, by sector, constant prices, Table 2
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(1) Office for National Statistics – New orders in the construction industry - here
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