Europe’s construction output decline continues

Figures from Eurostat show that October was the tenth successive month to register a year-on-year drop in construction output in Europe.

Compared with October 2011, production in October 2012 dropped 4.1% in the Eurozone and 4.4% among all member states (EU27).

Portugal registered a construction output decline of 19.1%, while Slovenia saw a 15.5% drop, Slovakia registered a 12.8% fall and Italy saw output decrease 12.1%. In contrast, the largest year-on-year increases were registered in Bulgaria (5.7%), Spain (3.4%) and Hungary (1.3%).

In terms of sectors, building construction output fell 3.8% in the Eurozone and 4.5% in the EU27, while civil engineering output decreased 5.3% in the Eurozone and 3.5% in the EU27.

Mixed picture

However, a month-on-month comparison showed a more mixed picture. Construction output fell 1.6% in the Eurozone in October, compared with September, but rose 1.6% in the EU27. And output in the building construction sector fell 1.3% in the Eurozone, but increased 2.1% in the EU27, while civil engineering output also dropped 2.1% in the Eurozone but rose 2% in the EU27.

The largest decreases in construction output between September and October were registered in Slovenia (21.1%), Germany (5.3%) and Sweden (4.7%), and the highest increases in the UK (11.7%), Bulgaria (2.2%) and Italy (1.9%).