In August this year, Germany's construction sector PMI indicated an increase to 51.5 from 50.0 recorded in July, according to Markit's seasonally adjusted Germany Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI).
August data indicated a modest increase in German construction activity in August, and this rise stemmed from the rebound in activities in the civil engineering sector. However, it showed that capacity constraints in the sector are still continuing. The declines reported in construction order books were the first seen since April. Moreover, input price inflation hit a ten-month high. The August data also showed a softening of constructors’ expectations towards activity over the next 12 months and that the degree of optimism slipped to its lowest since November 2016.