In February 2020 – the month before coronavirus containment measures began to be widely introduced by Member States – compared with January 2020, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector fell by 1.5% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU, according to first estimates from Eurostat.
In January 2020, production in construction increased by 4.0% in the euro area and by 3.4% in the EU. In February 2020 compared with February 2019, production in construction decreased by 0.9% in both the euro area and the EU.
Monthly comparison by construction sector and by Member State
In the euro area in February 2020, compared with January 2020, civil engineering decreased by 1.6% and building construction by 1.4%. In the EU, civil engineering decreased by 1.0% and building construction by 0.9%.
Among Member States for which data are available, the largest decreases in production in construction were recorded in Romania (-4.6%), the Netherlands (-2.4%) and Belgium (-2.2%). The highest increases were observed in Slovenia (+6.8%), Hungary (+6.2%) and Poland (+3.2%).
Annual comparison by construction sector and by Member State
In the euro area in February 2020, compared with February 2019 building construction decreased by 1.9% while civil engineering increased by 4.0%. In the EU building construction decreased by 1.7% while civil engineering increased by 3.5%.
Among Member States for which data are available, the largest decreases in production in construction were observed in Sweden (-8.0%), Spain (-7.2%) and Belgium (-4.4%). The highest increases were recorded in Romania (+25.7%), Slovenia (+9.0%) and Slovakia (+8.4%).
The euro area (EA19) includes Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.
The European Union (EU27) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
Data for February 2020 for France were not available, due to difficulties in collecting and processing the data as a result of the COVID-19 containment measures in force. Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta are not required to supply monthly data under Council Regulation 1165/98. ■