The global construction sector produced $10.9 trillion in output in 2019. Construction accounted for 18.8% of all workplace fatalities worldwide that same year.
Key Takeaways
- $10.9 trillion global construction output in 2019 (latest year in the World Bank dataset cited by the source)
- 2023 global construction equipment market value was $210 billion (reporting from vendor market study summary)
- $1.7 trillion global construction chemicals market size in 2023 (market study figure)
- 2.8% year-over-year growth in global construction output in 2024 (forecast mentioned for construction activity)
- India’s construction sector grew 7.7% in 2023 (OECD/India national accounts compilation statistic for construction value added YoY)
- Electric vehicles accounted for 18% of new construction equipment sales in the EU in 2023 (IEA/market data cited in an EU equipment update)
- 18.8% of workplace fatalities in 2019 occurred in construction worldwide (ILOSTAT construction share of fatal work injuries)
- 2,401 construction fatalities were recorded in the US in 2022 (BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries count for construction)
- Construction has the highest rate of nonfatal workplace injuries in the US industry sectors (OSHA/NIOSH summary statistic citing BLS injury rates)
- $380 billion global savings potential from decarbonization of cement and concrete by 2030 (IEA estimate in Net Zero by 2050 report)
- 12% of global energy-related CO2 emissions come from cement production (IEA estimate)
- Life-cycle assessment studies find cement substitution with supplementary cementitious materials can reduce CO2 by 20–40% per m³ (peer-reviewed ranges summarized in LCA paper)
- 19% average schedule overrun for major infrastructure projects globally (Flyvbjerg’s dataset; used in OECD evidence base)
- Prefabrication can reduce construction time by 20–50% (systematic review statistic in peer-reviewed construction management literature)
- Construction labor productivity improvement of 1.3% per year in advanced economies over the 2010–2019 period (OECD productivity estimates used in sector briefs)
Construction is set for continued growth while cutting emissions and safety risks becomes urgent.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
$10.9 trillion global construction output in 2019 (latest year in the World Bank dataset cited by the source)
02
2023 global construction equipment market value was $210 billion (reporting from vendor market study summary)
03
$1.7 trillion global construction chemicals market size in 2023 (market study figure)
04
15% of the global construction materials market is expected to come from green/sustainable materials by 2030 (market forecast cited by industry analyst)
05
US construction spending was $1.97 trillion in 2023 (US Census Bureau total construction spending series for 2023)
06
13.7% of global GDP came from construction and real estate in 2023 (share of GDP, IHS Markit-based estimate).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size data shows construction is a massive and still-expanding global sector, with $10.9 trillion in construction output in 2019 and broad supporting categories such as $1.7 trillion in construction chemicals and $210 billion in equipment markets in the early 2020s.
02 · Category
Sustainability & Energy6 stats
01
$380 billion global savings potential from decarbonization of cement and concrete by 2030 (IEA estimate in Net Zero by 2050 report)
02
12% of global energy-related CO2 emissions come from cement production (IEA estimate)
03
Life-cycle assessment studies find cement substitution with supplementary cementitious materials can reduce CO2 by 20–40% per m³ (peer-reviewed ranges summarized in LCA paper)
04
Higher waste sorting and on-site management can reduce C&D landfill disposal by 30% (peer-reviewed waste management intervention study)
05
Concrete carbonation mitigation using surface coatings can reduce carbonation depth by 50% in accelerated tests (materials science study result)
06
Renewable energy investment in building-related construction is expected to reach $1.1 trillion globally by 2026 (IEA investment outlook mentioned in energy infrastructure/building-related spending context)
Interpretation
Sustainability & Energy Interpretation
The data shows that sustainability and energy gains in construction are both large and measurable, with cement decarbonization alone offering $380 billion in savings by 2030 and cement accounting for 12% of energy related CO2 emissions, while complementary measures like supplementary cementitious material use can cut CO2 by 20 to 40% per cubic meter and renewable energy investment in building related construction is set to reach $1.1 trillion by 2026.
03 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
2.8% year-over-year growth in global construction output in 2024 (forecast mentioned for construction activity)
02
India’s construction sector grew 7.7% in 2023 (OECD/India national accounts compilation statistic for construction value added YoY)
03
Electric vehicles accounted for 18% of new construction equipment sales in the EU in 2023 (IEA/market data cited in an EU equipment update)
04
3.8% year-over-year growth in global construction output was forecast for 2024 (real terms, Dodge Momentum/Global Construction Outlook estimate).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends in global construction point to steady expansion, with worldwide construction output forecast to grow about 2.8% to 3.8% year over year in 2024 while sectors like India already grew 7.7% in 2023 and new construction equipment in the EU increasingly shifts toward electrification with 18% of sales going to electric vehicles in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Safety & Compliance4 stats
01
18.8% of workplace fatalities in 2019 occurred in construction worldwide (ILOSTAT construction share of fatal work injuries)
02
2,401 construction fatalities were recorded in the US in 2022 (BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries count for construction)
03
Construction has the highest rate of nonfatal workplace injuries in the US industry sectors (OSHA/NIOSH summary statistic citing BLS injury rates)
04
Workers compensation claim frequency for construction was 5.6 claims per 100 workers (US industry benchmark cited by Zurich Insurance industry insights)
Interpretation
Safety & Compliance Interpretation
Despite safety efforts, construction remains a high-risk sector, with 18.8% of global workplace fatalities in 2019 occurring in construction and the US recording 2,401 construction deaths in 2022 while injury rates and claim frequency stay elevated at 5.6 workers compensation claims per 100 workers.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
40% of construction organizations cite material cost volatility as a key risk factor in project delivery (share citing risk in industry survey).
02
38% of project teams report that schedule compression is used to mitigate rising costs (share in construction project risk survey).
03
Metal prices increased by 6.5% in 2023 affecting construction input costs (annual change in metal/material price index, OECD/UN sources in report).
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that construction delivery is being squeezed by rising inputs and instability, with 40% of organizations flagging material price volatility as a key risk and metal prices up 6.5% in 2023, while 38% of teams rely on schedule compression to offset these rising costs.
06 · Category
Industry Overview7 stats
01
19% average schedule overrun for major infrastructure projects globally (Flyvbjerg’s dataset; used in OECD evidence base)
02
Prefabrication can reduce construction time by 20–50% (systematic review statistic in peer-reviewed construction management literature)
03
Construction labor productivity improvement of 1.3% per year in advanced economies over the 2010–2019 period (OECD productivity estimates used in sector briefs)
04
In 2022, 9.1% of construction contractor workforce turnover was reported as planned/actual churn (AGC turnover statistic in labor survey)
05
BIM can reduce design coordination errors by 40% according to industry modeling results reported by NIBS National BIM Standard-related guidance
06
92% of the world’s cement production is used in the construction sector (cement use allocation estimate).
07
4,764 construction worker fatalities were recorded in the EU-27 plus the UK in 2021 (construction fatality count, ETUI data).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From a broad Industry Overview perspective, construction is still grappling with an average 19% schedule overrun on major infrastructure projects while productivity is improving only modestly at 1.3% per year in advanced economies, making faster methods and digital coordination like 20 to 50% less construction time from prefabrication and 40% fewer design coordination errors increasingly important.
report visual · Comparison
Global construction size and related market signals
Global construction output remains massive, with large downstream construction materials and equipment markets alongside growth and investment outlooks.
2023 global construction equipment market value was $210 billion (reporting from vendor market study summary)$210 billion
$10.9 trillion global construction output in 2019 (latest year in the World Bank dataset cited by the source)
$10.9
US construction spending was $1.97 trillion in 2023 (US Census Bureau total construction spending series for 2023)
$1.97
$1.7 trillion global construction chemicals market size in 2023 (market study figure)
$1.7
source-verifiedworldbank.org · imarcgroup.com · fortunebusinessinsights.com · census.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Global Construction Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-construction-industry-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Global Construction Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/global-construction-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Global Construction Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-construction-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)