Construction volume increased by more than a fourth in the previous year

The production value of building construction was 979 million and the production of civil engineering works totalled 699 million euros. Compared to 2010, the volume of building construction in real terms increased by 28% and the volume of civil engineering by 25%. The high growth rate was also influenced by the low reference base in 2010 when the decline on the construction market was the biggest. As the share of new building construction on the domestic construction market continues to decline, the growth in building construction is caused mainly by repair and reconstruction work. Despite the high growth rates, the volume of the construction market in real terms is comparable with the year 2005.

The construction volume of Estonian construction enterprises in foreign countries increased 29% compared to the previous year. The growth was mainly caused by building construction. Construction volumes in foreign countries accounted for 11% of the total volume of construction.

According to the data of the Construction Works Register, the number of dwellings completed in 2011 was 1,918, which is 406 dwellings less than in 2010. The largest share of completed dwellings was situated in blocks of flats and every second dwelling had two or three rooms. Since 2008, the share of dwellings situated in blocks of flats has continually decreased, which has increased the average floor area per dwelling. In 2011, the average floor area of a completed dwelling was 107 square metres, which is the biggest in the last ten years. The majority of completed dwellings were situated in Tallinn, followed by the neighbouring rural municipalities of Tallinn, and Tartu county.

In spite of consumers’ price sensitivity, the demand for new dwellings has grown for the second year in a row. In 2011, building permits were granted for the construction of 2,830 dwellings, which is about a tenth more than the year before.

In 2011, the number of completed non-residential buildings was 720 with a total useful floor area of 326,000 square metres – this was primarily made up of new agricultural, commercial and industrial premises. Compared to 2010, there was a decrease in both the useful floor area and the cubic capacity of completed non-residential buildings.

In the 4th quarter of 2011, the production value of construction amounted to 500 million euros, which is 39% more than in the 4th quarter of 2010, whereas the construction of buildings increased by 30% and the construction of civil engineering works by more than a half.