UK concrete sales drop 7.9% in Q1: ONS data

UK ready mix concrete sales dropped 7.9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the fourth quarter of 2024, data released on July 3 by the Office for National Statistics showed.

This is in comparison to a decrease of 0.1% in Q4 2024 compared with Q3 2024.

Construction output in the UK is estimated to have grown by 0.9% in April, the third consecutive period of positive growth in three months following an increase of 0.5% in March.

Despite total construction output projected to decline by 1.1% in 2024, growth is anticipated to return in 2025 and 2026, with projected increases of 3.5% and 4.6%, respectively, according to the Construction Products Association.

The new housing sector is likely to contract by 7.1% in 2024 before rebounding with growth rates of 4.9% in 2025 and 12% in 2026.

Final ONS data for 2023 cement production showed a drop of 8.4% year over year to 7.7 million mt. This followed a 6.8% decrease in 2022 compared with the levels in 2021.

Clinker production also declined by 11.2%, falling to 6.4 million mt in 2023 from 7.2 million mt in 2022, which followed a 2.8% drop in comparison with the levels in 2021.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, last assessed CEMDEX Turkey at $46.5/mt FOB on June 26.