In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production decreased by 1.1% in both the euro area (EA16) and the EU27 in September 2009, compared with the previous month. In August, production rose by 0.1% in the euro area, but fell by 0.1% in the EU27.

Compared with September 2008, output in September 2009 dropped by 8.0% in the euro area and by 9.4% in the EU27. These first estimates are released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.

Monthly comparison

Among the Member States for which data was available for September 2009, construction output rose in four and fell in eight. The highest increases were registered in the Czech Republic (+2.4%), Romania (+2.0%) and Spain (+1.5%), and the largest decreases in Slovenia (-10.4%), Slovakia (-6.2%) and Portugal (-2.3%).

Building construction decreased by 1.0% in the euro area and by 1.6% in the EU27, after -0.6% and -0.4% respectively in August. Civil engineering dropped by 1.8% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU27, after +4.0% and +2.9% respectively in the previous month.

Annual comparison

Among the Member States for which data was available for September 2009, construction output fell in nine and rose only in Poland (+5.7%), the Czech Republic (+4.6%) and Germany (+2.9%). The largest decreases were registered in Slovenia (-32.2%), Romania (-22.1%) and Bulgaria (-19.7%).

Building construction fell by 10.4% in the euro area and by 12.6% in the EU27, after -14.2% and -14.8% respectively in August. Civil engineering increased by 0.9% in the euro area and by 4.7% in the EU27, after +3.2% and +6.2% respectively in the previous month.

Note: No up to date data was available for Malta.