According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Friday, the price-adjusted order intake in the main construction sector decreased by 1.6% in March 2026 when compared to February 2026, once adjusted for calendar and seasonal variations.
Looking at the previous month, overall order intake in March 2026 showed a rise of 9.2% in the high-rise sector and a drop of 10.7% in civil engineering. Over the three-month period (January to March 2026), the price- and season-adjusted order intake was 1.6% lower than the three months prior; this decline was attributed to the high-rise sector (-2.4%) and the civil engineering sector (-0.9%).
When comparing March 2026 to March 2025, the real, calendar-adjusted order intake for the main construction sector fell by 7.7%. In terms of sectoral performance, high-rise construction saw a significant increase of 9.9% in order intake, while civil engineering dropped by 20.1%. The nominal (unadjusted for price) order intake was 2.7% below the previous year’s level.
On the side of revenue, real sales in the main construction sector were 2.5% higher in March 2026 than in the same month the previous year. The nominal revenue grew by 5.3% during that period, reaching 9.2 billion euros.
Furthermore, the number of people employed in construction firms with 20 or more staff increased by 1.6% in March 2026 compared to the corresponding period in 2025, rising to approximately 545,000 individuals.
