The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) today designated construction output, construction new orders and construction prices as national statistics.

ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics, Jonathan Athow, said: “Today’s announcement is the culmination of nearly a decade of hard work. Since we assumed responsibility for producing these key figures we have transformed both the sources and methods used to ensure we can produce the best possible estimates of the performance of the UK’s construction sector.

“We have continued to work closely with our survey respondents, data suppliers, and industry experts who have all helped contribute significantly to our improvements in measuring this key part of the UK economy.

“However, the work doesn’t stop here. We will carry on developing these important statistics, including seeking to use more VAT data in their calculation, to ensure they remain world-leading indicators.”