Construction volumes increased in the 2nd quarter

In the 2nd quarter of 2017, the production value of construction enterprises amounted to 627 million euros, of which the production value of building construction was 391 million euros and the production value of civil engineering was 236 million euros. Compared to the 2nd quarter of 2016, the volume of building construction increased 9% and the volume of civil engineering by more than a third.

Domestic construction market was affected the most by civil engineering, which resumed growth at the beginning of this year. Building construction also continued to grow. Compared to the same period of the previous year, construction volumes increased in new building construction as well as in repair and reconstruction work.

The construction volume of Estonian construction enterprises in foreign countries decreased nearly a half compared to the 2nd quarter of 2016, mainly on account of smaller volume of building construction. Construction volumes in foreign countries accounted for 6% of the total volume of construction in the 2nd quarter of 2017; the share in the same period a year ago was 12%.

According to the Register of Construction Works, in the 2nd quarter of 2017, the number of dwelling completions was 1, 422, which is 97 dwellings more than in the same period a year ago. Approximately a half of the completed dwellings were in blocks of flats situated in Tallinn.

There is still demand for new high-quality dwellings in a good location. In the 2nd quarter of 2017, building permits were granted for the construction of 2,066 dwellings, which is over a tenth more than in the 2nd quarter of 2016. The most popular type of building was a block of flats.

The number of completed non-residential buildings was 243 with a useful floor area of 216,000 square metres – these were primarily new storage and industrial premises. Compared to the 2nd quarter of 2016, both useful floor area and volume of completed non-residential buildings increased.

The statistics are based on the questionnaire “Economic activity, quarter”, the submission date of which was 21 July 2017. Statistics Estonia published the quarterly summary in 26 working days. For the statistical activity “Financial statistics of enterprises (quarterly)”, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.