The annual comparison between January 2017 and January 2016 showed that output decreased by 6.2% in the Euro area and by 3.3% in the EU28, according to initial estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Comparison of January 2017 and December 2016 showed production down by 2.3% in Euro area and by 1.5% across the countries of the EU as a whole (EU28).
In December, production in construction had fallen by 0.6% in the Euro area compared to November, while it grew by 0.2% in the EU28.
The decrease of 2.3% in January 2017, compared with December 2016, is due to civil engineering falling by 7.7% and building construction by 1.4%. In the EU28, the decrease of 1.5% is due to civil engineering falling by 5.2% and building construction by 0.7%.
Among member states with available data, the largest decreases were recorded in Slovenia (-12.3%), Belgium (-4.6%), Spain (-3.8%) and France (-3.5%), while the highest increases were observed in Romania (+5.1%), Hungary (+4.6%) and Slovakia (+3.3%).
In terms of the annual comparison, the decrease of 6.2% in in the Euro area in January 2017, compared with January 2016, is due to civil engineering falling by 8.2% and building construction by 5.9%. In the EU28, the decrease of 3.3% is due to civil engineering falling by 5.7% and building construction by 2.8%. Among countries with available data, the largest decreases were recorded in Belgium (-18.0%), Slovakia (-17.2%), Spain (-13.1%) and Bulgaria (-10.3%), while the highest increases were observed in Hungary (+18.3%) and Sweden (+10.0%).
[Ref: theconstructionindex.co.uk]
