The findings of the RICS Global Construction Monitor (GCM) for the third quarter of 2026 paint a subdued picture for international construction activity. The overarching Construction Sentiment Index (CSI) reflects a worldwide cooling of market sentiment and signals growing restraint among industry participants.
The survey illustrates that sentiment across the construction sector is by no means waning only selectively. Instead, the decline in the sentiment indicator is evident across all surveyed regions, documenting a broad-based trend at an international level.
Synchronous decline in sentiment across all regions
The RICS Global Construction Monitor serves as an internationally recognised gauge of worldwide construction activity. The latest data for the third quarter of 2026 confirm that confidence across individual sub-markets has noticeably softened. The Construction Sentiment Index aggregates these regional developments into an overarching metric.
A defining characteristic of the current findings is the geographical consistency of the trend. Whilst regional divergences were frequently observed in past survey periods, the third quarter of 2026 shows a simultaneous slowdown affecting all global regions analysed.
Restraint characterises the international market environment
The reading of the Construction Sentiment Index highlights the shifting operational conditions confronting companies across the global construction industry. The waning momentum across all continents mirrors the prevailing caution among stakeholders regarding ongoing as well as future projects.
- —Worldwide decline in the Construction Sentiment Index in the third quarter of 2026
- —Widespread clouding of market sentiment across all regions
- —Subdued expectations across the international construction industry according to the RICS Global Construction Monitor
The evaluation of the Global Construction Monitor by RICS for the third quarter of 2026 underlines the need for a nuanced assessment of the situation. The global weakening of industry sentiment remains a defining element for the future trajectory of the construction sector.
