Uncertainty derails $2.5 trillion in global construction activity projected for 2025

Currie & Brown launches Construction Certainty Index to help organisations navigate rising volatility

LONDON, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- $2.5 trillion could be wiped from global construction activity in 2025 due to persistent uncertainty. That's more than the GDP of Italy. The figure comes from new research by Currie & Brown, a world-leading provider of cost management, project management and advisory services.

The report, Building certainty in an era of relentless change, surveyed 1,060 global decision-makers responsible for construction pipelines averaging $12.9 billion.

On average, respondents reported financial losses equivalent to 13.7% of their pipeline in the past year due to uncertainty – a $2.1 billion impact per organisation. Nearly a third of projects were descoped, delayed or cancelled. Only one in five leaders said they were fully confident in staying on budget.

The primary risks include material cost inflation, energy price volatility, supply chain disruption and labour shortages. All of these are expected to intensify.

Dr Alan Manuel, Group Chief Executive Officer, Currie & Brown comments:
"Persistent uncertainty is the new normal in construction. Much of it is driven by external forces such as rising costs and political shifts. But systemic issues are critical too. Outdated procurement, misaligned objectives and incomplete designs continue to embed risk. We must address these challenges or the disruption will escalate. And that's not acceptable. Construction underpins economies and improves lives. This industry is too important to fall behind."

To address these challenges, Currie & Brown has launched the Construction Certainty Index. It tracks forward-looking confidence and the impact of risk on global projects.

The index helps organisations see where they stand and where to act. While there's no single fix, the report identifies four connected areas to build resilience:

• Technology: Adopt tech with purpose, not as a quick fix
• Data: Prioritise quality and insight over volume
• People: Build long-term partnerships and plan skills needs early
• Mindset: Stay agile, adaptable and proactively manage risk

The report also issues a clear call to action. The industry cannot fix this alone. Tackling systemic uncertainty will require collective effort from governments, asset owners and delivery partners worldwide.

Read the report: Building certainty in an era of relentless change: The Currie & Brown construction certainty index

About Currie & Brown

Currie & Brown is a world-leading project management, cost management and advisory services firm, helping clients to deliver with certainty across every sector and stage of the project lifecycle.

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