The Construction Costs Index of the A.C. of the Basque Country registered a rise of 0.5% in August 2004 with regard to the previous month, making an inter-annual rate of 6.5% for this month, according to EUSTAT data.

Raw material costs registered a 0.8% increase compared to the previous month, with identical evolution in Building and Civil Works (0.8%). The inter-annual evolution for these two sub-sectors, as regards raw materials, shows that they followed similarly homogenous patterns: costs of raw materials for Building and Civil Works grew by 7.8% and 7.5% respectively.

In August, the highest price rises were for the raw materials used in Electric energy (3.7%), Metal piping (3.2%), Oil and grease (2.9%), Asphalt products (2.6%), Lime, plaster and gypsum (2.5%) and Oil by-products (2.2%). Conversely, there were reductions in the prices of the raw materials of Explosives and gases (-1.5%), Glass (-1.1), Plastic piping and heat insulation (-0.4%) and Artificial cement (-0.3%), among others.

Among the raw materials used by the sector to experience the highest rates of inflation over the whole of the twelve-month period were: Metal piping (40.7%), Iron and steel (30.5%), Asphalt products (22.1%), Oil by-products (14.0%) and Cement by-products (9.8%). On the other hand, there were inter-annual price reductions (August 2004 in relation to August 2003) for the raw materials of Worked stone (-3.7%), Explosives and gases (-3.5%), Cleaning and hygiene material (-2.1%), Office material (-1.8%), Glass (-1.6%) and Electric energy (-1.2%).