The Construction Output Index rose by a significant 16.5% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same quarter of 2025, according to provisional data from ELSTAT, which have been adjusted for the number of working days.
This performance stands in stark contrast to the picture recorded a year earlier, when the index had declined by 3.8% on an annual basis.
On a quarterly basis, construction activity showed a seasonal decline, as the first-quarter index fell by 44.6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025. However, the decline was milder than that recorded in the corresponding comparison of 2025 with the last quarter of 2024, when it had reached 51%.
At the same time, the seasonally adjusted Construction Output Index recorded a 2.8% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, indicating that the underlying trend in the sector remains upward.