The Hungarian construction sector experienced a significant slowdown in Q1 2025, with the value of new construction starts dropping sharply compared to the previous quarter and the same period last year. This weak start comes despite a surge in activity at the close of 2024, driven by major project launches.

Value of started construction projects in Hungary fell almost 17% down year-on-year in the first nine months of 2024, accounting for around HUF 1800 billion, according to EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary. 

The value of construction works launched in three months rose in Q1 2024, Activity-Start hasn’t been so high in the last six quarters. EBI Construction Activity Report Q1 2024 measured the total value of started construction works at HUF 807 billion. Looking at the period between 2018 and 2023, there were very only five quarters when Activity-Start surpassed this number. At constant prices, Q1 2024 was also considered good when looking at the period since June 2022. Nevertheless, when compared to the period between 2018 and H1 2022, it fell into the lower range.

Compared to other cities, gross yields in Budapest, calculated from purchase prices and revenue from rent, are among the highest, which means the Hungarian capital is still a great destination for those investing in residential property. While the prices of apartments have skyrocketed in recent years in Hungary, residential property in Budapest is still quite inexpensive according to a joint study made by local developer Wing and research centre Eltinga.

After a significant expansion in Q2 2021, the value of started construction works in the Hungarian construction industry marked a major drop between July and September. Yet overall, the Activity Start indicator remained high for Q3 2021 due to the exceptionally good second quarter, according to the EBI Construction Activity Report.

After a relative stagnation in previous quarters, Q2 2021 saw a considerable expansion in the Activity Start indicator of the EBI Construction Activity Report. It was the first three months of 2018 last that witnessed a higher value of construction works to start in a quarter. In H1 2021, projects entered the construction phase on a total of HUF 1,398 billion, marking a significant increase of 20% and 18%, respectively, against the same period of the previous two years.

Due to the pandemic, the construction industry in Hungary last year registered a significant fall and the last quarter couldn’t save the year either. The latest EBI Construction Activity Report has found that Q4 2020, similarly to the low-value Q4 2019, saw the start of construction works at a value of HUF 442 billion. Owing to the massive drop in mid-2020, 15% less construction work started than in 2019 and 30% less than in 2018. In 2020 the Activity Start Indicator of the EBI Construction Activity Report accounted for less than HUF 2000 billion and the decline affected all major subsectors.

When assessing the first quarter of 2020, analysts of EBI Construction Activity Report Q1 2020 already highlighted the impact of the pandemic on the Hungarian construction industry. Back then, they did it with the help of a forecast based on limited available data, but since then actual data have been released and the impact of the pandemic on the sector can be assessed in detail.