CEPI - European Association of Real Estate Professions

On 19 March the statistical office of the EU, Eurostat, published its index of production in construction which estimates that in January 2014, compared with December 2013, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector grew by 1.5% in the euro area and by 1.3% in the EU28. In December 2013, production in construction rose by 1.3% and 1.2% respectively. In January 2014, compared with January 2013, production in construction increased by 8.8% in the euro area and by 7.3% in the EU28.

The increase of 1.5% in production in construction in the euro area in January 2014, compared with December 2013, is due to building construction rising by 1.7%, while civil engineering fell by 1.2%. In the EU28 the increase of 1.3% is due to building construction increasing by 1.6%, while civil engineering dropped by 1.8%. The highest increases in production in construction were seen in Slovenia (+22%), Spain (+5.8%) and Germany (+4.4%), and the largest decreases in Romania (-4.3%), Slovakia (-3.9%) and France (-2.2%). 

On an annual basis, the increase in production in construction in the euro area in January 2014 compared with January 2013 is due to building construction rising by 9.1% and civil engineering by 7.6%. In the EU28, the increase of 7.3% is due to building construction rising by 8.1% and civil engineering by 3.8%. The highest increases in production in construction were registered in Slovenia (+42.8%), Spain (+17.6%), Hungary (+15.9%) and Germany (+14.1%), and the largest decreases in Portugal (-14.0%), Romania (-9.2%) and Italy (-7.9%). 

More information is available at http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STAT-14-44_en.htm?locale=en  .