Financial News: German Construction Activity Expands For First Time In

German Construction Activity Expands For First Time In Nearly 4 Years

01/07/2026 - 05:30:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - Germany's construction sector expanded for the first time since early 2022 on rebound in civil engineering activity, purchasing managers' survey results from S&P Global showed on Wednesday.

The construction Purchasing Managers' index posted 50.3 in December, up from 45.2 in November. A score above 50.0 indicates expansion.

The index has remained above the 50 no-change mark since March 2022. The upturn was primarily driven by strong growth in civil engineering activity. Civil engineering activity expanded for the fifth time in the past seven months and at the quickest rate in almost 15 years. At the same time, the drag on total activity from the housing sector eased considerably. Commercial construction remained the weakest-performing category.

New orders continued to decline in December but at the least marked pace since March 2022. Firms' expectations towards activity in the year ahead remained subdued.

Employment in the sector increased for the first time in over three-and-a-half years. On the price front, the survey showed that input price inflation hit a three-month high. Rates charged by subcontractors climbed markedly and at the quickest rate for more than two-and-a-half years.

"We may be seeing signs that the housing sector is emerging from a deep recession, with activity now only edging down slightly," Hamburg Commercial Bank Chief Economist Cyrus de la Rubia.

"To keep things in perspective, this is just one monthly figure, and the time series has shown big swings before. Still, the sharp rise in building permits recently reported by the Federal Statistical Office gives hope that this isn't just a one-off," de la Rubia added.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

Market News provided by RTTNews

RECENT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL NEWS

U.S. Crude Oil Inventories Increase More Than Expected (01 hr(s), 47 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - After reporting a substantial increase in U.S. crude oil inventories in the previous w ...Full Story»

U.S. Services Index Jumps To Highest Level In Over Three Years (01 hr(s), 54 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Service sector activity in the U.S. unexpectedly grew at a faster pace in the month of ...Full Story»

U.S. Private Sector Job Growth Exceeds Estimates In February (02 hr(s), 39 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - A report released by payroll processor ADP on Wednesday showed private sector employme ...Full Story»

Luxembourg Inflation Remains Stable At 1.3% (02 hr(s), 58 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Consumer price inflation in Luxembourg held steady in February after easing to a 13-mo ...Full Story»

Hong Kong Retail Sales Growth Eases To 5.5% (03 hr(s), 42 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Hong Kong's retail sales growth moderated in January to the lowest level in five m ...Full Story»

U.S. Private Sector Employment Climbs More Than Expected In February (04 hr(s), 03 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - A report released by payroll processor ADP on Wednesday showed private sector employme ...Full Story»

Irish Jobless Rate Remains Stable At 4.6% (04 hr(s), 08 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Ireland's unemployment rate held steady for the third straight month in February, ...Full Story»

Italy Q4 GDP Growth Confirmed At 0.3%; Jobless Rate Hits Record Low (04 hr(s), 53 min(s), 41 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Italy's economy expanded for the second straight quarter as initially estimated ...Full Story»