Press Release 09/03/2018

CONSTRUCTION INDEX. IV/2017

Building drove the Construction sector in the Basque Country to 6.9% growth in the fourth quarter of 2017

In 2017 as a whole Building improved on the positive rates obtained the previous year, with growth of 8.0%, compared to the drop in Civil Works (-8.8%)

Construction activity in the Basque Country registered a year-on-year nominal upturn of 6.9% in the fourth quarter of 2017, in homogeneous terms of the working calendar, according to EUSTAT data.

Once corrected for seasonal effects, the Construction sector was up by 3.1% in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to the third quarter of the same year.

The increase in Construction sector in this quarter activity was due to the positive performance of the Building sub-sector, which experienced a year-on-year upturn of 8.2%, since the Civil Works sub-sector contracted by 2.2%.

In quarter-on-quarter terms, if the activity of the sector in the fourth quarter of 2017 is compared to the previous quarter, the Building subsector had a negative evolution of 3.2%, whereas the Civil Works subsector posted an increase of 2.9%.

Employment in the Construction sector experienced an increase of 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to the third quarter of 2017.

Annual balance

In 2017 overall, the Construction Index posted a rise of 5.9% on the previous year, but with very different results in its two sub-sectors: Building rose by 8.0%, with larger increases than those in 2016, whereas Civil Works saw negative rates, with a drop of 8.8% compared to 2016.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel: 945 01 75 62