Output in Europe’s construction sector fell in October in both the Eurozone and across the wider EU though was up 2% compared to 2016.

Production was down by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.7% across the 28 countries of the EU (EU28) compared with September 2017, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In September 2017, production in construction grew by 0.1% in the euro area, while it fell by 0.2% in the EU28.

In October 2017 compared with October 2016, production in construction increased by 2.0% in both zones.

The decrease of 0.4% in production in construction in the euro area in October 2017, compared with September 2017, is due to building construction falling by 0.5% and civil engineering by 0.3%. In the EU28, the 0.7% decrease is due to building construction falling by 0.8% and civil engineering by 0.1%.

Among member states with available data, the largest decreases were recorded in Sweden (-2.1%), the United Kingdom (-1.6%), Germany and Romania (both -1.3%), and the highest increases in Slovenia (+8.5%), Hungary (+5.9%) and Slovakia (+5.7%).

In terms of the annual comparison, the increase of 2.0% in production in construction in the euro area in October 2017, compared with October 2016, is due to building construction rising by 2.2% and civil engineering by 1.4%. In the EU28, the increase of 2.0% is due to civil engineering rising by 2.9% and building construction by 1.8%.

The highest increases in production in construction were recorded in Hungary (+38.1%), Slovenia (+29.5%) and Poland (+18.0%), and the largest decreases in Romania (-14.3%) and Spain (-1.2%).