However, August’s figures were down by 4. 7% in the Euro area compared with August 2012 and by 2.5% in the EU28.
The figures are first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In July production in construction had risen by 0.7% and 1.3% respectively.
Among the member states with data are available for August 2013, production in construction rose in seven and fell in eight. The highest increases were observed in Portugal (+10.8%), Sweden (+4.8%), Hungary (+4.0%) and Italy (+3.4%), and the largest decreases in the Czech Republic (-3.6%), Slovenia (-2.8%), Germany (-1.9%) and Poland (-1.6%).
Building construction fell by 0.1% in both the Euro area and in the EU28, after +1.1% and +1.6% respectively in July 2013. Civil engineering rose by 0.9% in the Euro area and by 1% in the EU28, after -0.3% and +0.4% respectively in the previous month.
In terms of annual comparisons, production in construction fell in nine and rose in six of those with data available. The largest decreases were registered in Portugal (-12.8%), Italy (-10.6%), Bulgaria (-9.5%) and Poland (-8.9%), and the highest increases in Hungary (+14.6%), Romania (+8.9%), Spain (+7.0%) and Sweden (+5.0%).
Building construction decreased by 4.3% in the Euro area and by 1.4% in the EU28, after -1.8% and -0.5% respectively in July. Civil engineering fell by 7.4% in the Euro area and by 7.3% in the EU28, after -3.6% and -3.3% respectively in the previous month.
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