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14   MARKET BEATS                                                                  JAN/FEB 2026 FDM ASIA | www.fdmasia.com






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          activity to increase by almost two percent in 2026.  are stimulating residential construction activity.
            Despite the recent memorandum of understanding between   The Swiss Contractors' Association expects 44,000 new
          the US and Switzerland on tariffs and foreign trade, economic   apartments to be built in the current year.

          uncertainty remains high.                             The association expects the upturn to continue until
            The commercial construction sector has been struggling   the end of the second quarter of 2026. Factors that could
          for two years. Its turnover has fallen from CHF 0.8 billion to   prevent the boom from continuing beyond this point include
          CHF 0.7 billion per quarter.  According to the construction   persistently high construction costs, the recent decline in
          index, this slump is set to continue until 2026.   building applications, and the expected reduction in rents for
            Swiss GDP is expected to grow by 0.9 percent next year,   existing apartments.
          slower than in 2025 (1.2 percent), while the unemployment   Builders achieved sales of CHF 17.6 billion (+0.6 percent)
          rate is likely to be higher (3.2 percent next year, 2.9 percent   in the first three quarters of 2025. Order intake even rose by
          in 2025).                                          3.3 percent to CHF 17.9 billion.

            Inflation is 0.2 percent in the current year. Forecasters'   For 2025 as a whole, the construction index points to an
          estimates for consumer price inflation next year range from   increase in sales of 0.6 percent, and for 2026 even 1.9 percent.
          0.2 percent to 0.5 percent.                           Residential construction and civil engineering are driving
            The residential construction sector, on the other hand,   growth. In public building construction, the signs are generally
          continues to grow.                                 pointing to positive growth, but the sector has fluctuated
            Since January 2025, its turnover has been CHF 6 billion   sharply in recent quarters. Commercial construction is not
          (+7 percent). Higher asking rents and recent interest rate cuts   providing any positive impetus.
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