Production in construction up by 0.1% in euro area
In December 2017 compared with November 2017, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector increased by 0.1% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.6% in the EU28, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In November 2017, production in construction grew by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU28.
In December 2017 compared with December 2016, production in construction increased by 0.5% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU28.
The average production in construction for the year 2017, compared with 2016, increased by 2.4% in the euro area and by 3.5% in the EU28.
Monthly comparison by construction sector and by Member State
The increase of 0.1% in production in construction in the euro area in December 2017, compared with November 2017, is due to building construction rising by 0.5%, while civil engineering fell by 1.1%.
In the EU28, the increase of 0.6% is due to civil engineering rising by 1.5% and building construction by 0.5%.
Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in production in construction were recorded in Romania (+4.5%), France (+4.2%) and Hungary (+3.9%), and the largest decreases in Slovakia (-5.5%), Spain (-4.4%) and Bulgaria (-3.0%).
Annual comparison by construction sector and by Member State
The increase of 0.5% in production in construction in the euro area in December 2017, compared with December 2016, is due to building construction rising by 1.4%, while civil engineering fell by 2.6%.
In the EU28, the increase of 1.5% is due to civil engineering rising by 1.8% and building construction by 1.5%.
Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in production in construction were recorded in Hungary (+35.0%), Slovenia (+21.2%) and Poland (+18.3%), and the largest decreases in Spain (-13.4%) and Bulgaria (-4.1%).
Geographical information
The euro area (EA19) includes Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.
The European Union (EU28) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta are not required to supply monthly data under Council Regulation 1165/98.
Methods and definitions
The index of production in construction approximates the evolution of the volume of production within the sector, broken down into building construction and civil engineering.
Seasonally adjusted euro area and EU series are calculated by aggregating the seasonally adjusted national data. Eurostat carries out the seasonal adjustment of the data for those countries that do not adjust their data for seasonal effects.
This monthly index is calculated only on the basis of the data of those countries reporting monthly data. Missing observations from Member States for recent months are estimated for the calculation of the euro area and the EU aggregates.
