Our take on the latest Ready-mixed concrete (Wed 11 Feb 2026)
Concrete volumes
Concrete volumes
South Island
0.4%pa2.4%
From Dec 2024 quarter
From Sep 2025 quarter (sa)
Leads growth
The key numbers...
- Ready-mixed concrete production recorded its first positive annual growth in more than three years, with volumes in the December 2025 quarter up 0.4% from a year earlier.
- Seasonally adjusted production volumes also increased for the second consecutive quarter, expanding by 2.4% to be up 5.5% from June 2025’s low point. This lift was the first time since the first half of 2021 that concrete volumes have risen for two quarters in a row.
- The largest regional contributors to annual growth came from the Christchurch metro area (up 11%pa), Otago/Southland (up 13%pa), and Northland (up 17%pa). Concrete volumes also increased in provincial Canterbury and Waikato/Bay of Plenty, but volumes were still lower than a year earlier across all other regions.
...and our reaction
- Concrete volumes in the December quarter were 9.2% above our forecast, with all regions except Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay exceeding expectations. Northland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Christchurch, and Otago/Southland were the regions that came in furthest above forecast.
- Given the downward trend in total construction activity that has persisted since the end of 2023, today’s result represents good news for the industry, and it could signal an earlier stabilisation in construction work volumes than we have been forecasting.
- We note that non-residential construction activity remains under significant downward pressure, as falls in consents continue to feed through into a shrinking pipeline of work. However, it seems that the effects of these declines on concrete volumes are being outweighed by increasing infrastructure work and stabilising or improving residential activity.
Latest updates
Premium
Ready-mixed concrete
Further concrete rise supported by South Island growth
Wed 12 Aug 2026
Quarterly
12%pa Concrete volumes in Jun 2026 quarter
22%pa Concrete volumes in the South IslandVolumes above 1 million m3 for the first time in 2½ yearsPremium
Ready-mixed concrete
South Island drives continued growth in concrete
Tue 12 May 2026
Quarterly
1.8%pa Concrete volumes in Mar 2026 quarter1.1% Concrete volumes from Dec 2025 quarter (sa)21% Christchurch concrete volumes from Mar 2025 quarterReady-mixed concrete
Concrete volumes still under pressure
Wed 12 Nov 2025
Quarterly
Concrete volumes in Sep quarter up 2.3% from Jun (sa)
Annual concrete volumes down by 6.2%paAnnual concrete volumes in Otago/Southland up by 5.1%pa