According to first estimates released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, in March this year the seasonally-adjusted production of the construction sector in the European Union member states (EU-28) decreased by 0.8 percent compared to February and rose by 3.7 percent compared to the same month of 2016. In February, production grew 3.9 percent compared to the previous month.
In the euro area, the seasonally-adjusted production of the construction sector in March decreased by 1.1 percent month on month and rose by 3.6 percent year on year. In February, production had risen by 5.5 percent compared to January, according to the newly revised data.
Building construction in the EU-28 in March decreased by 1.1 percent month on month and was up 3.8 percent year on year, while civil engineering output in the region increased by 0.7 percent from February and was up by 3.3 percent year on year. In the euro area, building construction decreased by 1.7 percent month on month and was up 2.7 percent year on year, while civil engineering output in the region increased by 1.1 percent month on month and rose by 6.8 percent year on year.
As compared to March last year, construction output in March this year increased by 41.5 percent in Slovenia, by 33.2 percent in Hungary and by 13 percent in Poland, while a decrease of five percent was registered in Spain and a fall of one percent was seen in Romania.
As compared to February, construction output in March this year decreased by 5.1 percent in France, by 4.5 percent in Sweden and by two percent in Portugal, while construction output increased by 9.7 percent in Poland, by 6.5 percent in Slovenia, by 3.6 percent in Slovakia and by 3.4 percent in Hungary.