Residential construction starts fell sharply, declining 25% against the preceding three months and dropping 46% compared with the previous year. Glenigan has released the August 2026 edition of its Construction Index. It’s a report which provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a unique insight into sector performance over the last 12 months. The August Index highlights that the UK construction sector remains firmly stuck in neutral, struggling to shift gears as a host of international and domestic socioeconomic headwinds strike it from all sides. Rising 25% against the preceding three months it was the only vertical to outstrip 2025 activity, soaring by 34% over last year’s results.