NEWS | Wednesday, 21 November 2007

Construction output stable in the euro area

In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production remained stable in the euro area and rose by 0.1% in the EU27 in September 2007, compared with the previous month. In August, production increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27.
Compared with September 2006, output in September 2007 gained 1.5% in the euro area and 2.5% in the EU27. In August the annual growth was 2.6% in the euro area and 3.6% in the EU27.
These first estimates were released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.
Among the Member States for which data are available for September 2007, construction output rose in three Member States, fell in eight and remained stable in France. Increases were recorded in Slovakia (+3.2%), Romania (+2.0%) and Germany (+0.7%). The most significant decreases were registered in the United Kingdom (-6.7%), Portugal (-5.2%) and Poland (-3.4%).
Building construction rose by 0.2% in both the euro area and the EU27, after 0.0% and +0.3% respectively in August. Civil engineering grew by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU27, after +0.7% and +1.2% respectively in the previous month.
Among the Member States for which data are available for September 2007, construction output rose in seven Member States and fell in five. The largest increases were recorded in Romania (+37.5%), the United Kingdom (+7.7%) and Slovenia (+4.6%). The most significant decreases were recorded in Sweden (-10.0%), Portugal (-4.7%) and Spain (-4.4%).
Building construction rose by 1.2% in the euro area and by 2.5% in the EU27, after +1.9% and +3.2% respectively in August. Civil engineering grew by 2.2% in the euro area and by 2.4% in the EU27, after +2.9% and +3.6% respectively in the previous month.