Compared with April, May seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector decreased by 0.7 percent in the euro area (EA19) and by 1.1 percent in the EU28, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In April 2017, production in construction grew by 0.3 percent in the euro area and by 0.2 percent in the EU28.

In May compared with May 2016, production in construction grew by 2.6 percent in the euro area and by 2.5 percent in the EU28.

The decrease of 0.7 percent in production in construction in the euro area in May, compared with April, is due to civil engineering falling by 0.9 percent and building construction by 0.6 percent.

In the EU28, the decrease of 1.1 percent is due to both building construction and civil engineering falling by 1.1 percent.

Among member states for which data are available, the largest decreases in production in construction were recorded in Slovenia (-10.6 percent), Sweden (-7.1 percent) and Slovakia (-4.9 percent), and the highest increases in Hungary (+7.6 percent), Bulgaria (+3.6 percent) and Italy (+2.7 percent).

The increase of 2.6 percent in production in construction in the euro area in May 2017, compared with May 2016, is due to civil engineering rising by 2.8 percent and building construction by 2.5 percent.

In the EU28, the increase of 2.5 percent is due to building construction rising by 2.9 percent and civil engineering by 1.6 percent.

Among member states for which data are available, the highest increases in production in construction were recorded in Hungary (+35.3 percent) and Bulgaria (+11.9 percent). Decreases were observed in Romania (-16.7 percent), Spain (-5.6 percent) and Slovakia (-2.1 percent).

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