IN Brief:
- UK sales of concrete, aggregates, and mortar fell again in Q1 2026, extending a prolonged downturn in core construction materials.
- London ready-mixed concrete volumes over the past 12 months were 47% lower than in 2022.
- Infrastructure remains more resilient than housing and commercial work, but not enough to offset wider weakness.
The Mineral Products Association has warned that construction demand remains weak after sales of concrete, aggregates, and mortar fell again in the first quarter of 2026.
Its latest figures show a further decline in essential construction materials, extending a four-year downturn. Mortar sales, often used as an indicator for housebuilding activity, fell by 2% on the previous quarter and were 5.4% lower year-on-year.
Ready-mixed concrete sales slipped by 0.5%, while primary aggregates were down 0.8%. Asphalt was broadly flat, falling 0.1%, after road maintenance activity provided some short-term support ahead of the financial year end.
The London ready-mixed concrete figure is the sharpest signal in the data. Volumes in the capital over the past 12 months were 47% lower than in 2022, underlining the depth of the slowdown in one of the UK’s most important construction markets.
The MPA said housebuilding and commercial construction remain the main drag on materials demand. Higher borrowing costs, weak confidence, and affordability pressures continue to hold back investment, while cost inflation has created further caution on lower-margin schemes.
Infrastructure remains the relative bright spot, with programmes such as HS2 and Sizewell C supporting demand for aggregates. Crushed rock volumes rose by 1% in Q1, although that increase was not enough to outweigh weaker activity elsewhere.
Concrete, mortar, and aggregates are consumed at scale only when work is moving through site. Falling volumes point to delayed starts, slower programmes, and weaker confidence across live delivery pipelines.
The London slump carries particular weight because the capital has traditionally been a high-volume market for offices, residential towers, mixed-use development, and infrastructure. A near-halving of ready-mixed concrete volumes from 2022 levels suggests that planning, viability, financing, and delivery risks are still weighing heavily on major building activity.
The figures also create pressure for materials producers. Lower volumes reduce operating efficiency across quarries, batching plants, and distribution networks, while rising fuel and production costs put pressure on margins. Suppliers may have to balance capacity, staffing, and logistics against an uncertain recovery profile.
A prolonged downturn also raises questions over construction readiness. If demand stays weak for a fifth consecutive year, material supply capacity, haulage availability, and specialist labour may be reduced just as the market is expected to respond to housing and infrastructure targets.
The MPA has called for government action to support housing demand, increase public infrastructure and road maintenance funding, encourage private construction investment, and reduce sector costs. Without a stronger demand signal, the materials base that underpins construction will remain exposed to the same pressure now visible in London concrete volumes: work is being promised faster than it is being poured.
