Eurozone’s construction output rises in July as building construction and civil engineering increase

Production in the euro area’s construction sector rose in July on sequential basis, according to the first estimate released by the official statistical office of the EU, Eurostat. The first estimate showed that the construction sector output seasonally adjusted rose 1.8 percent in July, as compared with June 2016 in the euro area. Production in construction had increased 0.3 percent in the currency bloc in June 2016. On a year-on-year construction output rose 3.1 percent.

The increase in construction output in the euro area on sequential basis was driven by France, which recorded a growth of 4.8 percent in its construction output in the month. This was followed by increases of 2 percent in Slovenia, 1.9 percent in Spain and 1.8 percent in Germany. Meanwhile, on an annual basis, highest increases of 12 percent were seen in Spain and 3.3 percent in France.

Civil engineering and building construction mainly drove the increase in euro area’s construction output. Civil engineering grew 0.4 percent, whereas building construction rose 2.2 percent. On a year-on-year basis too, civil engineering and building construction mainly drove the growth in euro area’s construction output, where building construction rose 3.2 percent and civil engineering rose 2.9 percent.

In the EU-28, construction sector output rose 1.1 percent sequentially and 1 percent year-on-year in July. The rises were driven by increase in building construction and civil engineering.