In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production remained stable in the euro area (EA13) and fell by 0.1% in the EU27 in July 2007, compared with the previous month. In June, production grew by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27.

In July 2007, compared with July 2006, output gained 1.7% in the euro area and 0.5% in the EU27. In June the annual growth was 2.6% in the euro area and 2.1% in the EU27.

Monthly comparison

Among those Member States for which data are available for July 2007, construction output rose in ten and fell in four. The largest increases were recorded in Portugal (+4.5%), Poland (+3.9%) and the United Kingdom (+2.0%). The highest decreases were registered in Sweden (-0.5%), Spain and Slovenia (both -0.2%).

Building construction rose by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU27, after increases of 0.2% and 0.3% respectively in June. Civil engineering fell by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.9% in the EU27, after an increase of 0.9% in both zones in the previous month.

Annual comparison

Among those Member States for which data are available for July 2007, construction output rose in seven and fell in seven. The highest increases were recorded in Romania (+26.3%), Slovenia (+17.9%) and Poland (+17.0%). The largest decreases were recorded in Hungary (-14.6%), the United Kingdom (-6.6%) and Belgium (-4.9%).

Building construction rose by 1.9% in the euro area and by 1.1% in the EU27, after increases of 2.1% and 1.7% respectively in June. Civil engineering grew by 0.1% in the euro area, but decreased by 3.0% in the EU27, after increases of 2.1% and 1.7% respectively in the previous month.

The production index in construction approximates the evolution of output within the sector, broken down into building construction and civil engineering. For the Member States which produce the construction index, but do not provide data for the reference period, Eurostat estimates missing values in order to calculate euro area and EU aggregates.