Construction - March 2023

The construction output decreased by 6.0%, year-on-year (y-o-y), in real terms, in March. In the month-on-month (m-o-m) comparison, it was by 0.9% lower. The planning and building control authorities granted by 13.3% less building permits, y-o-y. The approximate value of permitted constructions decreased by 6.3%, y-o-y. The number of started dwellings decreased by 21.0%, y-o-y. The number of completed dwellings decreased by 22.7%, y-o-y.

“Construction output decreased by 6.0%, year-on-year, in March. In the month-on-month comparison, there was also a decrease, which was, however, smaller than the one in February. Whereas the m-o-m decrease was fully owing to the building construction while the civil engineering construction was increasing, both the segments contributed the same to the y-o-y decrease,” Petra Cuřínová, Head of the Construction Statistics Unit of the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), says. The building construction output was by 4.1% lower, compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. The civil engineering output dropped by 12.0%, year-on-year.

The planning and building control authorities granted 6 805 building permits; it was by 13.3% less, y-o-y. The approximate value of the permitted constructions reached CZK 44.1 billion and it decreased by 6.3%, year-on-year.

Construction of 3 306 dwellings started and the number dropped by 21.0%, year-on-year. The number of completed dwellings amounted to 2 549 dwellings. “The number of completed dwellings decreased by 22.7%, y-o-y, partly due to the influence of a higher comparison basis of March 2022. Both family houses and multi-dwelling buildings were decreasing with the similar pace and the total decrease was attenuated by roof extensions mainly to multi-dwelling buildings,” Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department of the CZSO, explains.

The average registered number of employees in construction decreased by 1.5%, y-o-y. Their average gross monthly nominal wage increased by 12.1%, y-o-y.

According to Eurostat, construction output in the EU27 in February 2023 increased by 2.1%, year-on-year. Building construction increased by 2.0% and civil engineering increased by 2.9%. According to a preliminary release calendar, Eurostat will release data for March 2023 on 22 May 2023.

More detailed information on the development in construction can be found in the supplementary information to the News Release on Construction.