Conclusion
Modest cost rises.
Rising volatility.
Clear actions.
The market is still growing, albeit unevenly.
Public programmes and long-term investment are supporting demand. Technology and digital infrastructure are expanding quickly. Healthcare and housing remain priorities in many places. Pharmaceuticals investment continues, often with tight timelines and complex delivery constraints.
Cost increases will not be the headline risk in 2026. The predicted global figure is 2.4%, although this is strongly influenced by conditions in China. For the majority of countries, our forecasts sit between 2% and 6% rises.
The bigger challenge is volatility. It is what turns manageable budgets into delivery risk.
Across sectors, the same pressures keep surfacing. Labour and skills shortages. Supply chain disruption. Energy price volatility. Policy and regulatory change. Rapid technological adaptation. Many of these risks are expected to intensify rather than ease.
That is why we expect to keep seeing scrutiny, selectiveness and rephasing, rather than widespread cancellation. The question for decision-makers is how to keep momentum, without losing control.
There are clear lessons here to prepare for everything 2026 might bring, and beyond.
Here is how to build agility
1
Use good data and use it early.
Before you commit, check your cost, programme and risk assumptions against the market and benchmark against similar projects. It gives you a solid starting point to test your location and design choices.
2
Test a small number of scenarios, then plan around them.
Don’t rely on a single best guess. Use data to test different scenarios and agree a plan for when things change. Then build flexibility into the programme from the start.
3
Check labour and market capacity early, by location and by stage.
Labour shortages, especially for specialist skills, are a real risk. Check what’s available and when you’ll need it. If the market’s tight, adjust your scope, sequencing or procurement before the plan is fixed. And secure in-demand labour early.
4
Bring key decisions forward – and get the whole team on the same page.
Decide early on the things that usually cause redesign, delay or cost creep and ensure everyone is clear on objectives and responsibilities from the start. Lock in requirements, phasing, scope and long-lead items sooner than feels comfortable. It’s late changes and unclear roles that turn volatility into cost.
5
Use technology to help you see pressure early and decide faster.
Use digital tools where they add value; improving visibility and speeding up decisions. Track supply chain issues, costs and schedule risks in real time, so you can act with confidence.
Construction activity will grow in 2026. But agility will decide who delivers smoothly and who gets stuck. The advantage will sit with those who plan early, decide clearly, and stay in control.
Working with certainty
Uncertainty does not remove the need to build. It raises the standard for how projects are planned, governed and delivered.
Currie & Brown helps clients meet that standard.
We work with governments, developers, investors and asset owners across the world. We support decisions at every stage of the project lifecycle, from early strategy and feasibility through planning, procurement and delivery, and into long-term asset performance. Our role is to help clients understand risk early, weigh trade-offs clearly, and keep control as conditions change.
What sets us apart is our combination of global insight and local experience. We track cost, capacity and risk across markets, and we understand how those pressures play out on projects, through supply chains, and within local constraints. That helps clients spot pressure early, test options properly, and make confident decisions at speed.
We bring experienced people, reliable data and practical tools together to improve clarity and strengthen oversight. In a market shaped by volatility, certainty comes from knowing where you stand, what matters most, and what to do next. That is what we focus on delivering, wherever our clients are building.