EU construction output rises 2% in August as building construction contracts

Year on year, construction output rose by 2.6% in the EU and 1.4% in the euro area, reversing the negative trend recorded in July, when the respective indicators declined by 1.6% and 1.7%.

However, the overall improvement masks significant differences across construction segments, with building construction continuing to record negative growth.

Building Construction Falls by 4.1%

The most notable finding in the latest report concerns building construction, where output fell by 4.1% in the EU and 3.7% in the euro area in August 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier.

On a monthly basis, activity declined by 1.0% in the EU and 0.4% in the euro area.

By contrast, specialised construction activities, including installation and building completion works, recorded annual increases of 2.9% in the EU and 3.1% in the euro area. Civil engineering output rose by 2.8% in the EU, while remaining unchanged in the euro area.

Romania and Hungary Lead Construction Growth

Significant differences were also evident across EU Member States. Romania recorded the strongest annual increase in construction output, at 39.0% in August 2026. Hungary followed with growth of 22.0%, while Finland posted an increase of 12.7%. Germany also recorded a strong performance, with construction output rising by 10.5% year on year.

On a monthly basis, Hungary registered the largest increase, at 14.0%, followed by Germany at 9.3% and Romania at 7.2%. Romania’s strong performance was also reflected in its construction production index, which reached 173.9 points in August, based on 2021 as the reference year.

At the other end of the spectrum, France recorded the steepest annual decline among the countries for which data were available, with output falling by 7.8%. Slovakia followed with a decrease of 4.9%, while Spain recorded a decline of 4.3%. Italy also experienced a contraction, with construction output falling by 2.2% year on year and 2.9% compared with July.

No Monthly Construction Output Data Available for Greece

Greece was not included in the country-level monthly comparisons in the latest release. According to Eurostat, the country is among the Member States that are not required to submit monthly construction output data within one month and 15 days of the end of the reference period.

Consequently, the latest figures do not allow for a direct comparison between construction activity in Greece and that of other European markets.