According to first estimates released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, in March this year the seasonally-adjusted production of the construction sector in the European Union member states (EU-28) decreased by 1.4 percent compared to February and fell also by 1.4 percent compared to the same month of 2015. In February, production had decreased by 0.6 percent compared to the previous month.
In the euro area, the seasonally-adjusted production of the construction sector in March decreased by 0.9 percent month on month and moved down by 0.5 percent year on year. In February, production had decreased by 0.6 percent compared to January, according to the newly revised data.
Building construction in the EU-28 in March decreased by 1.1 percent month on month and was up 0.1 percent year on year, while civil engineering output in the region decreased by 2.9 percent from February and was down by 7.5 percent year on year. In the euro area, building construction decreased 0.8 percent month on month and was up 0.1 percent year on year, while civil engineering output in the region decreased by two percent month on month and by 2.9 percent year on year.
As compared to March 2015, construction output in March this year increased by 16.4 percent in Sweden, by 6.3 percent in the Netherlands, by one percent in Germany and by 0.4 percent in Spain, while a decrease of 36.7 percent was registered in Slovenia, a decline of 33.9 percent was seen in Hungary, a fall of 14.9 percent in Poland and with a decrease of 11.5 percent in the Czech Republic.
As compared to February, construction output in March this year increased by 3.5 percent in Sweden, by 1.2 percent in France and by 0.9 percent in the Netherlands, while construction output decreased by 8.5 percent in Slovenia, by 6.3 percent in Hungary and by 5.1 percent in the Czech Republic.