Friday, 7 August 2026
Czech construction output continued to expand in June 2026, supported by strong building construction activity that more than offset weaker civil engineering performance, according to the latest figures from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO).
Construction output increased by 2.0% year-on-year in June after adjusting for the number of working days, although activity declined by 0.3% compared with May. Building construction remained the main driver of growth, rising 6.3% from a year earlier, while civil engineering output fell 5.3%, largely reflecting a high comparison base from the previous year.
Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction and Energy Statistics Department at the CZSO, said the overall growth in June was driven entirely by building construction, while infrastructure-related works recorded a year-on-year decline.
The pipeline of future projects also strengthened during the month. Authorities issued 5,545 building permits, an increase of 1.8% compared with June 2025, while the total floor area approved for new buildings rose by 76.3%, indicating continued investment in larger-scale developments.
Residential construction showed particularly strong momentum. Work started on 4,013 dwellings during June, representing a 52.9% year-on-year increase. According to Petra Cuřínová, Head of the Construction Statistics Unit at the CZSO, the number of new family houses reached its highest June level in four years, while the sharp increase in apartment projects partly reflected a weaker comparison base from the previous year.
Despite the increase in housing starts, completions moved in the opposite direction. A total of 2,699 dwellings were completed in June, down 17.8% compared with the same month in 2025.
The first-half results point to a construction sector that remains on a positive trajectory. Overall construction output increased 4.2% year-on-year during the first six months of 2026. Building construction expanded by 6.4%, accounting for virtually all of the sector’s growth, while civil engineering activity declined by 0.4% over the same period.
Construction companies employing 50 or more people secured 32,399 new contracts during the first half of the year, an increase of 7.5% compared with a year earlier. The total value of these contracts reached CZK 222.7 billion, up 1.7% year on year.
Building construction continued to outperform infrastructure works in terms of new business. The value of new building contracts rose 13.9% to CZK 102.1 billion, while civil engineering orders declined 6.9% to CZK 120.6 billion. The average value of newly awarded contracts fell 5.5% to CZK 6.9 million, reflecting a larger number of smaller projects.
Planning activity also remained robust during the first half of the year. Authorities granted 31,576 building permits, an increase of 8.1% compared with the same period last year. The total approved floor area for new buildings increased 31.8% to 3.89 million sqm, with residential developments recording particularly strong growth of 54.4%, while new non-residential buildings increased 10.2%.
Housing starts reached 22,785 dwellings in the first half of 2026, up 39.8% year on year. The South Moravian Region recorded the highest number of new homes started with 4,312 units, narrowly ahead of Prague, where apartment developments accounted for most activity. The Central Bohemian Region remained the strongest market for new family housing, with 3,601 dwellings started.
Housing completions remained weaker. A total of 16,263 dwellings were completed during the first six months of the year, representing a 4.4% annual decline. While completions of apartments in multi-family buildings increased, the number of completed family houses fell 13.7%.
Prague recorded the highest number of completed homes with 3,542 dwellings, of which 84% were apartments in multi-family developments. Brno followed with 744 completed dwellings, while Plzeň recorded 607. Outside the largest cities, Třebíč, Havířov and Milovice also recorded notable levels of residential construction.
Compared with the wider European market, Czech construction activity continued to outperform. According to Eurostat, construction output across the EU27 increased 1.8% year-on-year in May 2026, while Czech construction recorded stronger first-half growth driven by sustained demand for residential and commercial building projects.
