Construction activity remains stable
At CHF 4.7 billion, construction activity in the first quarter of 2025 remained at the previous year's level. Commercial construction declined slightly, while residential construction increased beyond expectations. These are the findings of surveys conducted by the Swiss Federation of Master Builders.
Construction activity realised a small year-on-year increase of 0.4 percent to CHF 4.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025, the Swiss Federation of Master Builders(SBV) reported in a press release. It estimates construction activity to be stable despite the international trade conflicts. For the year as a whole, the association expects construction activity to grow by 1.1 per cent year-on-year.
The SBC experts observed different developments in the individual sectors of the construction industry in the quarter under review. Commercial construction, for example, was 7 per cent weaker than in the first quarter of 2024. By contrast, construction activity in public building construction increased by 23 per cent at the same time. In civil engineering, a decline in private construction activity was largely offset by growth of 2.8 per cent in the much stronger public civil engineering sector. The bottom line is that construction activity in civil engineering fell by around 2 per cent.
In the press release, the SBC emphasises the “surprisingly” positive development in residential construction. At CHF 1.7 billion, turnover here was 2.4 per cent higher than in the same quarter of the previous year. The SBC experts consider the 11 per cent year-on-year growth in new orders observed at the same time to be “particularly pleasing”. They attribute this to the increased number of building applications in the previous year, which is now “gradually being reflected in the order books”.