Construction - February 2021

In February 2021, the construction output decreased by 11.0%, year-on-year (y-o-y), in real terms. It was lower by 3.0%, month-on-month (m-o-m). The planning and building control authorities granted by 3.3% less building permits, y-o-y. The approximate value of permitted constructions increased by 30.0%, y-o-y. The number of started dwellings decreased by 8.9%, y-o-y. The number of completed dwellings decreased by 15.6%, y-o-y.

“Construction output decreased by 11% in February, namely due to the development in building construction. Civil engineering works were at the level of last February, which is very good performance taking into account the high comparison basis and the much more freezing weather,” Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department, says.

In February 2021, the construction output¹ decreased by 3.0%, m-o-m, in real terms. In the year-on-year comparison, it decreased by 11.0%. Compared to the corresponding month of the previous year, the production in building construction decreased by 13.8% (contribution −11.1 percentage points (p. p.)). The production of civil engineering construction increased by 0.8%, y-o-y (contribution +0.1 p. p.).

The average registered number of employees² in construction decreased by 1.8%, y-o-y, in February 2021. Their average gross monthly nominal wage increased by 3.5%, y-o-y, in February 2021.

The planning and building control authorities granted 6 144 building permits in February 2021; it was by 3.3% less, y-o-y. The approximate value of the permitted constructions reached CZK 33.0 billion and compared to the corresponding period of 2020 it increased by 30.0%. “The planning and building control authorities granted less building permits in February; however, the approximate value of the permitted constructions increased by a third, after several rather big constructions of transport infrastructure were permitted. Regardless of the billion-worth constructions, however, the approximate value would increase by almost five percent,” Petra Cuřínová, Head of the Construction Statistics Unit, says.

The number of dwellings started decreased by 8.9%, y-o-y, in February 2021 and reached the number of 2 941 dwellings. The number of dwellings started in family houses decreased by 28.5%. The number of dwellings started in multi-dwelling buildings decreased by 0.9%.

The number of completed dwellings decreased by 15.6%, y-o-y, in February 2021 and amounted to 2 570 dwellings. The number of completed dwellings in family houses increased by 4.8%; the number of completed dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings decreased by 48.4%, mainly due to a high comparison basis from February 2020.

According to Eurostat, construction output in the EU27 in January 2021 decreased by 1.8%, y-o-y. Buildings decreased by 0.7% and civil engineering works decreased by 6.5%. The Czech construction performance is worse than the EU average owing to buildings (building construction); on the contrary, civil engineering works are more successful. Civil engineering in the EU27 is driven down mainly by Spain and Germany. According to a preliminary release calendar, Eurostat will release data for February 2021 on 19 April 2021.

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Notes:
¹ The year-on-year development of construction output (production) is adjusted for working days unless otherwise stated. Month-on-month or quarter-on-quarter rates are also seasonally adjusted. Contributions to an increase or to a decrease are calculated from data that are adjusted for working days.
² Indicators related to employment in construction apply to the whole population of enterprises the principal (prevailing) activity of which is construction. The indicator of the registered number of employees does not include persons working under various contracts for work (an agreement on work performance and an agreement on work activity), working owners of enterprises and cooperating household members who do not have contracts of employment. The piece of data on the registered number of employees in construction also excludes agency workers who have contracts of employment within economic activities of services (CZ-NACE 78.2).

Responsible head at the CZSO: Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department, phone number: (+420) 736 168 543, e-mail: radek.matejka@czso.cz
Contact person: Petra Cuřínová, Head of the Construction Statistics Unit, phone number: (+420) 737 280 494, e- mail: petra.curinova@czso.cz
Method of data acquisition: direct surveys of the CZSO (Stav 1–12 and Stav 2–12)
End of data collection: 31 March 2021
Related outputs: https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/sta_ts
https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/bvz_ts
Next News Release will be published on: 7 May 2021

Attachments

⇩ asta040821.docx
Annexes:
⇩ Table 1 Construction production indices, construction permits granted, and housing construction (year-on-year indices for the month)
⇩ Chart 1 Construction production indices (year-on-year indices for the month)
⇩ Chart 2 Construction production indices (base indices)
⇩ Chart 3 Construction production indices, international comparison (base indices)