Construction costs for new housing in Portugal rose 6.9% year-on-year in May 2026, driven by a 6.4% jump in materials and a 7.5% increase in labour, with bitumen, diesel, copper wire, and PVC piping posting gains of 25% to 30%.
In Germany, prices for conventional new residential buildings climbed 5% compared with May 2025, while roofing and carpentry work surged 7.3% and finishing trades rose 5.1%. Office building and road construction costs gained 5.2% and 6.2% respectively.
Meanwhile, the Czech construction sector showed signs of expanding activity: new housing starts jumped 48.3% year-on-year to 3,968 units in May, building permits rose 11.6% to 5,784, and the South Moravia region recorded its highest residential construction volume in the past twelve months — a record since 2006. Civil engineering output grew 6.6% across the country.