According to Eurostat estimates, in July 2014, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector remained stable in both the euro area (EA18) and the EU28, compared with June 2014. Production in construction fell by 0.4% and 0.1%, respectively, in June 2014. However, construction witnessed a y/y increase in July 2014 (compared with July 2013), rising by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU28.
Production in construction remained stable in the euro area in July 2014, compared with June 2014, as building construction rose by 0.4%, while civil engineering fell by 2.1%. In the EU28, production in construction also remained stable, as building construction increased by 0.2%, while civil engineering dropped by 1%. The highest increases in production in construction were seen in Hungary (+3.9%), Germany (+1.7%), Spain and Sweden (both +1%), and the largest decreases were observed in the Czech Republic (-3.1%), Slovenia (-2.1%), France (-1.5%) and Poland (-1%).
The increase of 0.4% in production in construction in the euro area in July 2014, compared with July 2013, was attributed to building construction rising by 0.8%, while civil engineering fell by 2%. In the EU28, the increase of 0.6% was due to building construction rising by 1%, while civil engineering fell by 1.9%. The highest increases in production in construction were witnessed in Slovenia (+24.8%), Hungary (+17.5%) and Spain (+11.6%), and the largest decreases in Romania (-19.7%), Portugal (-8.8%) and Slovakia (-6.1%).
Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling