In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production rose by 0.6% in the euro area (EA13) and by 0.5% in the EU272 in June 2007, compared with the previous month. In May, production increased by 0.1% in the euro area, but fell by 0.2% in the EU27.

Compared with June 2006, output in June 2007 gained 2.7% in the euro area and 2.0% in the EU27. In May the annual growth was 1.6% and 1.4% respectively.

Monthly comparison

Among the Member States for which data are available for June 2007, construction output rose in four Member States and fell in ten. Increases were recorded in Spain (+2.2%), Romania (+2.1%), the United Kingdom (+1.3%) and France (+0.6%). The most significant decreases were registered in Hungary (-8.9%), Slovenia (-6.7%) and Belgium (-4.6%).

Building construction rose by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU27, after +0.5% and -0.1% respectively in May. Civil engineering grew by 0.9% in the euro area and by 1.1% in the EU27, after -0.9% and -1.1% respectively in the previous month.

Annual comparison

In June 2007, among the Member States for which data are available, construction output rose in seven Member States and fell in seven. The largest increases were recorded in Romania (+26.7%), Slovenia (+16.5%) and the Netherlands (+5.0%). The highest decreases were recorded in Hungary (-15.8%), Sweden (-6.5%) and Portugal (-5.5%).

Building construction rose by 2.3% in the euro area and by 1.8% in the EU27, after +1.9% and +1.8% respectively in May. Civil engineering grew by 1.9% in the euro area and by 2.1% in the EU27, after -0.6% and -1.1% 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.