Public works activity returned to growth in 2023, after an eroded 2022, with an estimated 4.2% increase in production over the year, according to the Fédération Nationale des Travaux Publics (FNTP). In December, activity was up 6.7% on December 2022. At the start of the year, the continuation of structuring projects and the positive impact of the municipal cycle on public works activity are helping to improve the business climate, particularly among public-sector clients. Contracts signed jumped by +37.3% in 2023 compared with the weak results of 2022, and are now almost back to 2018 levels, thanks to several major projects such as the Toulousian metro, the Lyon-Turin lots, the Penly EPR... Orders were up sharply in December (+130% in euros) following the award of the eastern section of Line 15 of the Grand Paris Express. In January 2024, the economic climate is brightening up: the contractors surveyed are much more optimistic than in October about their business prospects over the next three months.
A few uncertainties loom in the medium term, linked to the repercussions of the housing crisis for some companies and the organization of the 2024 Olympic Games on construction sites.
