Eurostat: Construction Growth Decelerates In Dec 2014

20 February 2015 – El Mundo

Output in the construction sector in Spain grew by just 1.6% (in December 2014), a positive percentage but a far cry from the increases recorded in October (+13.9%) and November (15.9%).

Romania (15%), Sweden (+9.4%) and Poland (+4.8%) were the countries that recorded the greatest increases.

Construction output in Spain has slowed down once again. After several months of double-digit growth, activity in the sector grew by just 1.6% in December 2014 with respect to the same period in 2013, according to data from the EU statistical office, Eurostat.

Although the latest percentage is positive, it is a far cry from the +15.9% and +13.9% recorded by the sector in November and October, respectively. The situation in Spain stands out in the context of the decreases across the Eurozone as a whole (-3.5%) and in the European Union (-0.5%).

In inter-monthly terms (between December and November), construction output in Spain declined by 1.5%, whereas it fell by 0.8% in the monetary union region.

In terms of the countries for which data as at December 2014 is available, the greatest inter-monthly increases were recorded in Romania (+7.2%), Italy (+2.3%) and Poland (+1%), whereas the most significant decreases were experienced in Hungary (-6.5%), the Czech Republic (-3.3%) and Germany (-2.9%).

Compared with December 2013 (inter-annual figures), the greatest reductions were recorded in Slovakia (-9.8%), the Czech Republic (-7.8%), France (-7.5%), Italy (-5.2%) and Germany (-4.7%). The opposite end of the table was headed up by Romania (+15%), Sweden (+9.4%), Poland (+4.8%), UK (+4.7%) and Slovenia (+4.6%).

Finally, for 2014 as a whole, construction output increased by 2% in the Eurozone with respect to 2013, whilst in the European Union it rose by 3%.

Original story: El Mundo

Translation: Carmel Drake