Production in construction up 0.3% in euro area

In April 2017 compared with March 2017, seasonally-adjusted production in the construction sector increased by 0.3 per cent in the euro area (EA19) and remained stable in the EU28, according to the first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In March 2017 production in construction fell by 1.1 per cent in the euro area and by 0.5 per cent in the EU28.

In April 2017 compared with April 2016, production in construction increased by 3.2 per cent in the euro area and by 2.7 per cent in the EU28.

Monthly comparison
The increase of 0.3 per cent tin production in construction in the euro area in April 2017 compared to a month earlier is due to building construction rising by 0.7 per cent, while civil engineering fell by 1.5 per cent.

In the EU28 the stable level of production in construction is due to building construction rising by 0.2 per cent, while activity in the civil engineering segment was down by one per cent.

Among the member states for which data are available, the highest increases in production were recorded in Sweden (3.8 per cent), France (3.5 per cent) and the Czech Republic (1.6 per cent). The largest declines were noted in Romania (7.7 per cent), Italy (4.1 per cent) and Hungary (2.6 per cent).

Annual comparison
The increase of 3.2 per cent in production in construction in the euro area in April 2017, compared with April 2016, is due to rises in both building construction and civil engineering with advanced by 3.3 and 2.5 per cent, respectively.

In the EU28 the increase of 2.7 per cent is due to building construction rising by 3.5 per cent and civil engineering by one per cent.

Among the member states for which data are available, the highest increases in production in construction were recorded in Slovenia (27.8 per cent),  Hungary (22.0 per cent) and Sweden (19.8 per cent). The largest decreases were seen in Romania (18.4 per cent), Italy (4.6 per cent) and the UK (3.4 per cent).