Construction sector order intake experienced a slight decrease in May 2025, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects, the real volume of new orders decreased by 0.5 percent compared to April 2025.
A significant divergence was observed between construction segments. New orders in the building construction sector (Hochbau) declined notably, falling by 18.3 percent. Conversely, civil engineering work (Tiefbau) saw an increase in new orders, rising by 17.4 percent.
Examining a three-month trend from March to May 2025, the seasonally and calendar-adjusted volume of new orders registered a rise of 7.6 percent compared to the preceding three-month period. Building construction showed a modest increase of 0.6 percent during this period, while civil engineering work surged by 13.9 percent.
Year-on-year comparisons reveal a contrasting picture. Real order intake in the construction sector rose by 5.3 percent in May 2025 compared to May 2024. However, this overall increase was driven by a surge in civil engineering, which saw a 20.2 percent increase, offsetting a 10.4 percent decrease in building construction orders. The nominal (unadjusted) order intake climbed by 9.5 percent compared to the same month last year.
Construction sector turnover also displayed positive performance. Real turnover for May 2025 was 4.1 percent higher than in May 2024, with nominal turnover surging by 7.0 percent to reach 9.8 billion euros.
Looking at the cumulative results for the first five months of 2025, real turnover has increased by 2.8 percent compared to the same period in 2024, while nominal turnover rose by 5.3 percent.
The number of people employed in the construction sector increased by 1.0 percent in May 2025 compared to May 2024, according to Destatis figures.