Construction activity fluctuates with the weather and overall economic activity. In fact, it fluctuates much more than the economy in general, as many episodes of economic overheating and collapse have shown us. But construction has many facets that aren’t visible unless we look closely at the details by sector. The graph shows two types of construction that have changed quite dramatically over the past few decades: The building of religious edifices has nearly come to a stop and is now about a third of what it was 15 years ago. And the graph doesn’t even account for the impact of inflation. Contrast this with the rise in construction for amusement and recreation, which was about equal to religious edifices back in the early 1990s and is now five times as large.

How this graph was created: Start at the Value of Construction Put in Place release table, select the series you to display, and click “Add to Graph.”

Suggested by Christian Zimmermann.