Construction regained momentum in Catalonia in 2025, with a growth of 5.4%, but the sector considers that the pace is still insufficient to respond to both the housing crisis and the infrastructure deficit that the country is dragging. Although the number of completed homes increased by 25% compared to the previous year, production is still well below the levels considered necessary to meet demand.
These are some of the conclusions of the report The construction sector in Catalonia 2025. Forecasts 2026 and 2027, presented this Thursday by the Cambra de Contractistes d'Obres de Catalunya (CCOC). The entity estimates that Catalonia has accumulated a deficit of close to 49,500 million euros in infrastructure after years of insufficient investment and calculates that annual public bidding would have to be doubled to recover the accumulated delay.
According to the study, Catalonia should invest some 7,365 million euros annually in public works —the equivalent of 2.2% of GDP— to match the main European countries. However, in 2025 only 3,972 million euros were tendered, practically half of what is needed.
More homes, but still insufficient
Last year, 16,572 homes were completed, 25% more than in 2024. Despite this increase, the figure is still far from the 30,000 annual flats that, according to the Cambra, would be necessary to begin to balance supply and demand.
According to the CCOC, Catalonia should invest 7,365 million euros annually in public works, the equivalent of 2.2% of GDP
In addition, the number of homes started decreased by 6.6%, to 15,589, a figure that suggests that the recovery will remain limited in the coming years if new projects are not accelerated.
The problem is not just investing, but executing
The report also once again focuses on one of the main demands of the sector: the low execution of public investment.
During 2025, the State executed only 57% of the budgeted investments in Catalonia, well below the state average, which exceeded 100%. Between 2009 and 2025, the accumulated execution deficit exceeds 12,900 million euros. In contrast, the Generalitat registered an execution rate close to 90% in the same period.
For the Cambra, these data show that announcing investments is not enough. The entity argues that projects must translate into tenders, awards, and, finally, executed works to have a real impact on housing, mobility, or the competitiveness of the Catalan economy.
Budgets adjusted to reality
The study also warns that many public tenders continue to enter the market with budgets far from the real construction costs. As a consequence, 45% of public tenders only received one or two offers during 2025, an indicator that the employers' association considers worrying because it reduces competition and hinders the execution of works.
Given this scenario, the CCOC demands updating tender budgets, strengthening price review mechanisms, and streamlining administrative procedures to boost housing construction. It also recalls that, of the 50,000 public homes announced by the Govern, only about 3,000 have been tendered so far.
Despite these difficulties, the Cambra maintains optimistic prospects and forecasts that the sector will grow between 3.5% and 4% this 2026 and between 2.5% and 3.5% in 2027, provided that the announced investments end up becoming executed work.
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