Construction in the EU rose by 0.3% m/m in May

In May 2026, seasonally adjusted output in the EU’s construction sector rose by 0.3% compared with April, whilst in the eurozone it rose by 0.4% month-on-month. Year-on-year growth in the EU stood at 1.8%, and in the euro area at 1.2%. This is according to preliminary data from Eurostat.

By segment, in May compared with April, building construction in the EU fell by 0.4% month-on-month, civil engineering by 1.3%, whilst specialised construction works rose by 1.4%. In the eurozone, building construction fell by 0.7%, civil engineering works by 0.5%, whilst specialised construction works rose by 1.4%. Compared with April, the pace of construction fell significantly.

On an annual basis, the market remains uneven. In the European Union, building construction fell by 5.2% in May. At the same time, civil engineering and specialised works rose by 2.3% and 3.3% respectively. In the eurozone, this trend was even more pronounced: building construction fell by 6.6%, whilst civil engineering and specialised works rose by 3.5% and 2.9% respectively.

Among the member states, the highest monthly growth in May was recorded in Austria (+3.3%), the Netherlands (+2.0%) and France (+1.3%). The sharpest declines were observed in Hungary (-6.4%), Spain (-2.8%) and Slovenia (-1.9%).

On an annual basis, the sharpest falls in construction output were recorded in Spain (-10.0%), Hungary (-6.7%) and France (-0.7%).  The highest growth rates were recorded in Slovenia (+19.2%), Slovakia (+10.0%) and Finland (+9.4%).

As reported by GMK Center, by the end of 2025, the total volume of construction in the European Union had risen by 0.5%, indicating a weak recovery in the sector following a 1.3% decline in 2024.