Concrete demand stuck at crisis levels, warns MPA
The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has warned that demand for construction materials remains at “crisis levels”, with concrete sales down sharply and little sign of recovery across Britain’s construction sector.
The latest data from the MPA’s Q3 2025 survey, based on member sales volumes, shows continued weakness in aggregates, concrete and asphalt, exposing the depth of the construction downturn and the fragility of the wider UK economy.
Ready-mixed concrete, a key indicator of overall construction activity, fell by 0.8% in Q3 compared with Q2 and was 12% lower than a year earlier. Over the past eight years, sales have fallen in seven, reflecting long-term stagnation in construction output.
Regional data highlight the scale of the decline in London, where concrete volumes have plunged by 32% year-on-year — the sharpest fall in Great Britain. The MPA said the capital’s exposure to delays in high-rise development, linked to planning backlogs at the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), had intensified the slowdown.
Elsewhere, aggregates sales were flat, while asphalt rose slightly (+2.5%) and mortar increased by 1% — though still down 30% over the past two years. Across the country, weak housebuilding and subdued commercial development continue to suppress demand, with infrastructure work only partially offsetting the decline.
Even major schemes such as HS2 have seen reduced material requirements following the project’s reset, while nine road schemes have been cancelled in the past year, further cutting near-term demand for mineral products.
The MPA, which represents over 60% of UK ready-mixed and precast concrete production, said the industry is under “severe strain” after four consecutive years of decline. Companies have been forced to focus on cost control and efficiency, with sites mothballed and skilled jobs lost — threatening future supply resilience.
Aurelie Delannoy, MPA director of economic affairs, said: “The mineral products sector is having to operate at crisis levels, with no prospect of recovery in the near term. Construction materials are among the earliest indicators of real activity, and these figures send a clear warning to Government ahead of the Autumn Budget.”
Chris Leese, MPA executive chair, added: “Announcements about infrastructure and planning are all well and good, but for now they remain promises of ‘jam tomorrow’. Without urgent action that results in work on the ground now, the foundations of future delivery — the investment, capacity and workforce — may not be there when the country needs them.”
In its Autumn Budget submission, the MPA urged the Chancellor to introduce pro-growth measures, including investment incentives for new plant and machinery, support for carbon capture and low-carbon concrete production, and greater use of public procurement to back British manufacturers.
According to the MPA, the sector — which supports over 80,000 jobs and contributes £22 billion annually to the UK economy — remains vital to the delivery of housing, infrastructure and the country’s net zero transition.
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