EUROCONSTRUCT: Development of the European Construction Industry

Tasks

More than 40 years ago, research and consulting institutes with specific know-how in the construction sector joined together in order to prepare and present differentiated and harmonised analyses and forecasts for this key sector of each economy. The ifo Institute is one of the 4 founding member and German partner institute. The EUROCONSTRUCT network now contains partner institutes in 15 Western and 4 central Eastern European countries; moreover additional information on further Eastern European countries is available.

The core activities of the EUROCONSTRUCT group are conferences, organised twice a year at changing European cities by the national partner institute. These events focus on the cyclical development of construction activity and on further topics with direct relevance for the construction sector. In addition to these conferences, common research projects (e.g. for the European Commission or for associations) are undertaken. Concerning concrete issues there is an animated change of ideas and information between the partner institutes.

Methods

Based on the conviction that differentiated sector-specific developments in the "site-bound" construction sector can best be estimated by local institutions, each partner institute within the EUROCONSTRUCT network makes analyses and (cyclical) forecasts for construction activity in its own country. The basis for this work is a set of standardised tables (PDF) for social and macroeconomic developments and especially for construction activities with fine differentiations regarding subsections of construction works as well as types of buildings.

The construction forecasts for Germany are based on the forecasts for construction investment in the sectors residential construction, non-residential construction and civil engineering produced via a method mix. Corresponding to the practice in Europe, several regroupings and additional differentiation's for new work and repair/maintenance and for different types of buildings are necessary. The number of completed dwellings has to be estimated and forecasted consistently.

Data sources

The contribution for the German market is based on the "Bauvolumen" (construction volume) calculated by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). Besides data of the German System of National Accounts and of official construction statistics (housing completions, new non-residential construction by building types) are taken into account. For the further breakdown of construction values, additional data and information about official construction output (e.g. construction turnover) as well as further non-official data are used.

Results

The results are published in two conference reports (in English) and presented on the EUROCONSTRUCT conferences: The "Country Report" includes the market analyses for the 19 member countries. The "Summary Report", in contrast, focuses on the construction segments and provides the corresponding country overviews. 

The EUROCONSTRUCT winter conference 2023 took place on 30 November and 1 December 2023 in Dublin. (Order form, PDF).

Results of the EUROCONSTRUCT conferences (in German) are published regularly in ifo Schnelldienst.