May brought a clear rebound in Poland’s construction sector. Construction and assembly output increased by 3.9% year on year and by 7.9% compared with April. However, after the first five months of the year, the industry remains in negative territory. A growing divide is also visible across the market: new investment projects are accelerating, while the renovation segment is experiencing a sharp decline.
Construction output rebounds in May
Construction and assembly output in May 2026 was 3.9% higher than a year earlier and as much as 7.9% higher than in April. However, the monthly recovery does not erase the weak start to the year. Cumulatively, from January to May, the sector remained 5.1% below last year’s level.
The figures also reveal a pronounced split within the industry. Investment-related works are expanding, while renovation and repair activity is contracting sharply.
June 22, 2026 · Based on Statistics Poland data
Key figures
+3.9% year on year
Construction and assembly output in May, at constant prices
+7.9% month on month
Increase compared with April 2026
−5.1% January–May year on year
Cumulative performance since the beginning of the year
+4.8% year on year, seasonally adjusted
Output after seasonal adjustment
The latest data from Statistics Poland suggest that construction may be approaching a turning point. After weak results in the first months of the year, May brought a visible improvement. At constant prices, construction and assembly output increased by 3.9% year on year, while seasonally adjusted output rose by 4.8%.
This is the first clear sign of improvement in 2026. However, the scale of the earlier slowdown means that the balance for the first five months of the year remains negative.
Construction and assembly output at constant prices, seasonally adjusted
After seasonal adjustment, output reached an index of 107.8 in May, with 2021 set at 100. This means that the sector has recovered from the decline recorded at the beginning of the year, when the index fell to 98.7 in January.
However, the underlying trend remains flat. For more than a year, the sector has moved within a relatively narrow range around the 2021 level, without a clear and sustained growth impulse.
Specialised construction works lead the recovery
In annual terms, May’s growth was driven primarily by companies carrying out specialised construction activities, where output increased by 10.8%. Construction of buildings also recorded a solid increase of 5.8%.
Civil engineering, which includes roads, bridges and utility networks, remained in negative territory, with output falling by 1.8% year on year. This segment is particularly dependent on the pace of public investment.
Compared with April, however, the picture was positive across all three main construction segments. Civil engineering recorded the strongest month-on-month increase, rising by 10.7%. This may indicate that the infrastructure segment is also beginning to gain momentum after a weaker period.
Construction output by segment
Comparing the May results with cumulative data highlights the scale of the weak start to the year. Despite the improvement in May, all three segments remain below last year’s level for the January–May period.
Specialised construction works were down by 5.6%, building construction declined by 5.2%, and civil engineering fell by 4.5%. The May rebound is therefore real, but it has only just begun to offset the losses from the first quarter.
| Construction segment | Month on month, April = 100 | Year on year, May 2025 = 100 | January–May, year on year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction sector total | 107.9 | 103.9 | 94.9 |
| Construction of buildings | 105.7 | 105.8 | 94.8 |
| Civil engineering | 110.7 | 98.2 | 95.5 |
| Specialised construction activities | 106.6 | 110.8 | 94.4 |
The key message: investment is rising, while renovations are collapsing
The most important signal in the May data is not the division between construction segments, but the type of work being carried out.
Investment-related construction work increased by 15.9% year on year, while renovation and repair work collapsed by 23.1%. This divergence, one of the deepest seen in recent years, points to a construction market shifting away from maintaining and modernising existing assets toward the delivery of new projects.
Investment-related work versus renovation work
The divergence is even more pronounced in cumulative terms. Between January and May, renovation work declined by 27.6% year on year, while investment-related work increased by 4.9%.
For comparison, a year earlier renovation activity had fallen by 10.1%, while investment work had increased by 6.4%. This means that the downturn in the renovation segment has deepened significantly.
This pattern is consistent with a phase of the economic cycle in which major investment projects are being launched, including projects co-financed with EU funds. At the same time, modernisation and renovation work remains more vulnerable to financing costs and the cautious approach of private investors.
For contractors, this means that demand is shifting towards new building projects, specialised construction works and infrastructure investments.
What this means for the sector
May’s rebound is real, but it is selective. New investments and specialised construction works are driving growth, while the renovation segment is undergoing a deep correction.
This is increasingly becoming a two-speed market, where the direction of demand matters just as much as its overall scale.
Key takeaways
May reversed the short-term trend, but the year remains negative
The 3.9% year-on-year increase and 7.9% month-on-month rise represent the strongest signal of improvement in 2026 so far. However, the sector remains 5.1% below last year’s level on a cumulative basis.
Investment is driving growth, while renovations are holding the market back
Investment-related work rose by 15.9% year on year, while renovation activity fell by 23.1%. This is the sharpest divergence shaping the overall picture of the sector.
Specialised construction work is the strongest segment
The 10.8% annual increase indicates that specialised contractors are benefiting most quickly from the recovery in investment activity.
Civil engineering is recovering on a monthly basis
Although civil engineering output remained 1.8% lower year on year, it increased by 10.7% compared with April. This may mark the beginning of a reversal in the public infrastructure segment.
The underlying trend remains flat
The seasonally adjusted index of 107.8 has remained around a similar level for more than a year. The sector has not yet entered a phase of sustained expansion.
The coming months will be crucial for assessing the real condition of the construction industry. They will show whether May’s rebound marks the beginning of a durable recovery from the weak start to the year, or whether it proves to be only a temporary seasonal improvement.
Much will depend on the pace at which public investment projects are launched and on whether the renovation segment can halt its deep decline.
