UK construction output fell 1.8% year-on-year in May 2026, deepening from a 1.6% decline in the previous month and marking the seventh consecutive month of contraction. The drop was more severe than market expectations of a 1.1% decrease. New work dropped for an eighth straight month (-5.8% vs -5.5% in April), while growth in repair and maintenance eased to a five-month low (3.8% vs 3.9%). On a monthly basis, construction output was down 0.8%, far steeper than a 0.1% fall in April and pointing to the second successive month of drop. The weaker performance reflected a 2.1% decline in repair and maintenance activity even as new work edged up 0.2%. Despite the weak May reading, construction output rose 1.6% over the three months to May, indicating the third consecutive increase in the rolling three-month measure. Growth was supported by gains in both new work (1.1%) and repair and maintenance activity (2.1%).