US construction spending for March 2026 shows:
- Prior month -0.3%
- Construction spending 0.6% versus 0.2% expected
Details from the US Census Bureau
Total Construction
- March 2026 spending was $2,185.5 billion (seasonally adjusted annual rate)
- Up 0.6% from February 2026 ($2,173.2B) and up 1.6% from March 2025 ($2,150.8B)
- Year-to-date (Jan–Mar) spending totaled $479.4 billion, up 0.3% vs. the same period in 2025
Private Construction
- Total private spending: $1,659.0 billion, up 0.8% from February
- Residential: $929.7 billion, up 1.7% from February — the strongest monthly gain across all categories
- Nonresidential: $729.4 billion, down slightly 0.2% from February
Public Construction
- Total public spending: $526.4 billion, down 0.2% from February
- Educational: $113.0 billion, down 0.6% from February
- Highway: $147.8 billion, essentially flat, down just 0.1% from February
Key Takeaways
Overall construction activity continues to trend upward year-over-year, reflecting steady momentum in the sector. The primary driver of monthly growth was private residential construction, which posted the strongest gain at 1.7% above February levels. In contrast, public construction saw modest declines, with both education and highway segments dipping slightly below their February estimates, though the changes were marginal and within the margins of error.
