Construction prices rose by 2% in the first quarter

The construction price index expresses the change in construction expenditures taking into consideration the price changes of three basic inputs: labour force, building machines, and building materials. The calculation of the construction price index covers four groups of buildings: detached houses, blocks of flats, industrial buildings, and office buildings. The repair and reconstruction work price index covers office buildings.

Ülo Paulus, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the increase in the construction price index in the first quarter, compared with the previous quarter, was mainly influenced by payroll expenses, which started to rise again, and also by the higher prices of building materials – the two combined contributed 89% of the overall rise in the construction price index. “Payroll expenses were also boosted by annual bonuses paid to employees in January,” added Paulus.

“The increased prices of fuels did not yet affect the index in the first quarter, and so there was no significant rise in the cost of using building machines,” said Paulus.

Compared with the first quarter of 2025, the cost of building materials rose by 2.5%, labour force was 1.5% more expensive and the cost of using building machines increased by 1.2%. The higher cost of materials contributed 75% of the rise in the construction price index year on year.

The repair and reconstruction work price index for the first quarter of 2026 rose by 0.3% compared with the fourth quarter of last year and by 2.2% compared with the first quarter of 2025.

Statistics Estonia collects and analyses data for the construction price index for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to understand how the Estonian economy is doing.

Data as at 22 April 2026 are published. The indicator values may change if there are any revisions made in the data sources after this date.

See also the prices section on our website. More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.

When using Statistics Estonia’s data and graphs, please indicate the source.

For further information:

Annaliisa Köss
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 5696 6484
press [at] stat.ee (press[at]stat[dot]ee)

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