Building New Zealand: Focus on the construction industry – news story
12 March 2026
This article uses statistics drawn from several Stats NZ datasets to provide insights into the recent performance of New Zealand’s construction industry.
What is the construction industry and why is it important?
The construction industry comprises residential and non-residential construction. Non-residential buildings include hospitals, factories, prisons, and hotels. The industry also includes heavy and civil engineering construction, and construction services like painting, plumbing and electrical work, site preparation, and landscaping.
In the year ended March 2024, the construction industry had a 7.8 percent share of gross domestic product (GDP).
“New Zealand’s construction industry is a large and varied sector of the economy. It’s share of GDP was the fourth highest out of 16 industries,” general manager and macroeconomic spokesperson Jason Attewell said.
National accounts (industry production and investment): Year ended March 2024 has more information on the structure of the economy.
Labour market statistics: December 2025 quarter showed that 295,100 people, or 10.2 percent of people working in New Zealand, worked in the construction industry as their main job in the December 2025 quarter.
