EBI – megkezdett kivitelezési munkák – 2023. szeptember 16.-i állapot

Ugyan a 3. negyedév Aktivitás-Kezdése egyelőre nem túl fényes az ipari épületek és raktárak szegmensben sem, még mindig itt indul a legtöbb magasépítési munka. A társasházi lakást két nemrég indult nagyprojekt meglökte, de az év eddigi részében még mindig extra alacsony a projektindítás. A mélyépítés Aktivitás-Kezdése továbbra is lényegesen a tavalyi szint alatt van, a 3. negyedévben kezdett kivitelezések közül egyelőre a vizes munkák a legnagyobbak.

A vizualizációt (18 szegmens adataival) havonta frissítjük, és negyedévente az EBI Építésaktivitási Jelentésben is elmondjuk, hogy mit látunk a piacon.

További részletek az ibuild.info oldalon >>

Although the Activity Start of Q3 is not very bright in the industrial buildings and warehouses segment, it is still where most building construction work starts. The multi-unit residential segment has been pushed by two recently launched major projects, but the project launch rate is still extra low so far this year. The Activity Start of civil engineering is still significantly below last year’s level, water-related projects are the largest started ones in Q3.

The visualization (for 18 segments) is updated monthly and the EBI Construction Activity Report, summarizing what’s happening in the market, is published in each quarter.

Further details are available at ibuild.info >>

Q2 2023 sees better Construction Activity-Start in Hungary than Q1

Press Release on EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary Q2 2023

Q2 brought an improvement over Q1 in the Activity-Start of EBI Construction Activity Report: between April and June construction works started in the value of HUF 754 billion in Hungary, a more than 30% increase over Q1. It was an expansion compared to H2 2022 as well. The rise against the previous quarter was visible even at constant price, although Activity-Start was still behind the quarterly figures of 2021 and H1 2022.

The value of started building constructions keeps registering a drop

In Q2, construction works started in building construction at an even lower value than in Q1, so Activity-Start has been decreasing for the third consecutive quarter. The value of started works was barely more than HUF 400 billion; it fell by 16% in Q2 over Q1. The lag is even bigger compared to the outstanding second quarters of 2021 and 2022. At constant price, the value of building construction works started in one quarter has not been this low since 2015.

The decrease at current price was typical for non-residential constructions. Multi-unit housing recorded a minimal improvement in Activity-Start, although the indicator here stayed very low. In non-residential, the total value of works started was nearly 20% lower in Q2 than in Q1. At constant price, it was in Q3 2016 when Activity-Start was lower than this value.

The biggest projects launched in Q2 this year were the Correctional Facility in Csenger, Inpark metalworking plant in Debrecen, Boysen electric car battery plant in Nyíregyháza, HelloParks Logistics Hall in Páty, the next building of Weerts Logistics Center, and several larger multi-unit residential projects.

EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary analyses the construction industry on a quarterly basis, including the volume of newly started construction works and the value of projects completed in each quarter in aggregate and by segment as well. It is prepared by Buildecon, Eltinga (creation of indicators and development of algorithms for aggregation) and iBuild (project research and project database). EBI Construction Activity Report Q2 2023 has been published and can be purchased at ebi@ibuild.info.

Civil Engineering Activity-Start sees a considerable expansion

The Q2 2023 Civil Engineering Activity-Start of EBI Construction Activity Report posted a more than 30% growth against the corresponding period a year earlier. And compared to Q3 and Q4 2022, as well as Q1 2023, the increase was exceptional. The last time Activity-Start in the segment was higher than this was in Q1 2022. In April-June 2023, the value was close to HUF 350 billion and the increase was noticeable even at constant price: in comparison with Q1 2023, the value of started construction works nearly quadrupled. But compared to previous years, this Activity-Start at constant price cannot be called an outlier.

Continue reading Q2 2023 sees better Construction Activity-Start in Hungary than Q1

EECFA countries in the European Commission’s 2023 Macro Forecast

Written by Tünde Tancsics and Dóra Barát – ELTINGA-EECFA Research

The European Commission’s 2023 Spring economic forecast for EECFA countries was showing some changes in outlook in comparison with Autumn 2022. Economic growth prospects improved in most countries in Spring 2023, excluding Serbia where growth expectations slightly fell against Autumn 2022. The EU and the Euro area growth prospects were outperformed in all countries surveyed – apart from Russia.

Projected economic growth in 2023-2024 was positive in all countries, although to varying degrees. It was over 3% in Türkiye and Romania (3.75% and 3.35%, respectively), but also above 2% in Serbia (2.45%) despite the downturn in expectations since Autumn 2022. GDP growth in other EECFA countries and Hungary (which is a Euroconstruct member) was projected to be between 1.5% and 2%, above both the EU and the Euro area averages of 1.35%. In Russia, growth forecast turned from negative to positive, but it was still close to zero: at just 0.2%.

Gross fixed capital formation data shows that growth projections for 2023-2024 were rather mixed, both in terms of direction and in the magnitude of change. Expected GFCF growth in Spring 2023 was by far the highest in Romania (7.5%), while in the Euroconstruct member Hungary, it was anticipated to decrease by 0.7%; a larger decline than the 0.2% contraction estimated in Autumn 2022. In Russia, a 0.4% growth was forecasted in Spring 2023, instead of the drop projected in Autumn 2022. In case of Türkiye, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, expected GFCF growth was around 3%-4%. It doubled in Türkiye and quadrupled in Slovenia, while in Bulgaria it fell by less than half. In Serbia, GFCF prospects were similar to those of the EU and the Euro area, but slightly higher (1.7%).

In Slovenia, predicted construction growth rate almost doubled to close to 6% from Autumn 2022 to Spring 2023. For Romania and Croatia, projections were 6.55% and 3.05%, respectably. In Bulgaria and Hungary, the outlook significantly deteriorated. The same was true for the EU and the Euro area where expected GFCF into construction growth was barely above zero. Thus, the surveyed EU member countries outperformed the projected construction growth in both the EU and the Euro area. Hungary was the only exception where a decline was anticipated.

This above is the European Commission’s opinion. EECFA’s opinion, on Eastern European construction markets and forecast on submarket and segment level can be found in the latest EECFA reports. Sample report and order: eecfa.com. Türkiye and Croatia could be top performer, Romania, Russia and Serbia are foreseen to shrink.

Our approach is different from that of the Commission, as we provide forecast for each segment of construction. That is, we have a bottom-up approach, where forecast is computed separately for residential, office, retail, industrial buildings, roads, railways, utility etc. segments.

EECFA 2023 Summer Construction Forecast

In Southeast Europe the forecast is mixed across the board. For this year, EECFA expects expansion in all but one of its five small countries’ construction markets (Romania). For next year, Serbia will also likely join by turning into negative territory, while in 2025 Croatia is forecasted to be the only country to register a drop, albeit a modest one.

In the Eastern European region of EECFA, construction forecast up to 2025 is positive for Türkiye and Ukraine, while in Russia it seems gloomy all the way. In Türkiye, the reconstruction after the February quakes is the key driver, while in Ukraine, a lot will depend on how fast and how soon the reconstruction of the damaged stock can be carried out. EECFA has attempted to make its first forecast for Ukrainian construction since the war began.

Construction up to 2025 in Southeast Europe

In Bulgaria, the new coalition government can mitigate the expected economic slowdown in 2023 by speeding the absorption of EU programs and the implementation of Bulgaria’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. Total construction output is estimated to achieve real growth in 2023. Factors in favor of this forecast are the strong tailwind in residential construction, a slight growth in non-residential and expectation for an improved performance in civil engineering.

Neither inflation nor population decline could stop Croatian construction output’s growth in 2022, and 2023 looks likely to follow suit. Figures for some Buildings sectors, e.g., Retail and wholesale and Residential, contain surprises. Performance of certain Civil engineering sectors was unexpectedly strong due to events that may be one-off or instead portend a trend.

High construction cost is a major factor behind the expected downturn in Romanian construction this year and next, but the market should recover by 2025. EU funding from the 2013-2020 programs has a spending deadline of 31 December 2023, and with the new 2021-2027 programs still in early phases of implementation, a gap is expected in output while the switch takes place. Also, 2024 is a quadruple election year for Romania (local, parliamentary, presidential, European parliament), bringing new challenges for construction as power transition can bring new priorities and strategies.  

Serbia is feeling the consequences of the economic slowdown in the European Union, but so far it seems it will avoid recession in the short term. Construction outputs are also showing a mixed picture with building construction suffering contraction in volumes, while civil engineering will likely break new record highs in 2023. And even though there is a lot of uncertainty, the high level of investments is still maintaining positive economic growth and strong employment figures. 

The Slovenian construction industry continues to exhibit resilience amidst a thriving economy. While challenges such as inflation and higher interest rates pose hurdles for the residential construction subsector, non-residential and civil engineering are benefiting from increased public investment. By capitalizing on these opportunities, the industry is well-positioned to contribute to the country’s ongoing economic growth and development.

Outlook in the Eastern European construction markets of EECFA

Last year the Russian economy showed relatively high resilience to the negative effects of sanctions. One growth point was construction that showed much better-than-expected dynamics. Russia’s ‘Turn to the East’ notion in the new external political-economic conditions requires intensive construction of infrastructure objects, which fueled growth in construction in 2022. Going forward, the market will likely show decline driven by negative trends in residential and some downturn in civil engineering on the back of a high base in 2022.

After the elections held on 14 and 28 May 2023 in Türkiye, the value of Lira has been falling, creating financing difficulties for contracted construction projects using imported materials. In Q1, the economy accelerated annually owing to strong domestic demand and low interest rates, while construction continued to regain senses. The two earthquakes in February in 11 provinces caused massive human casualties and damages to over 300 000 buildings and infrastructural facilities. As the Government must restore buildings and infrastructure, growth in construction will speed up in the years to come.

If hostilities end in 2023 and Ukraine’s territorial integrity is preserved, post-war reconstruction will cost several hundreds of billions of US dollars according to various recovery plans. About 3 million Ukrainians saw their homes destroyed and about a third of the infrastructure is damaged. The war caused widespread damage to the construction sector and full recovery is only expected after the war ends. Now there is a partial construction of destroyed or damaged residential, non-residential, and critical infrastructure facilities in relatively safe areas with the help of compensation programs at state and local levels and mortgage programs. A key challenge though is the acute shortage of building materials (glass, cement, asbestos, and gypsum, among others). Resumption in construction will improve the country’s post-war economy, provide jobs, increase the production of materials and open new enterprises.

The EECFA 2023 Summer Construction Forecast Reports up to 2025 have been released and can be purchased on eecfa.com where a sample report can also be viewed.

Poor Q1 2023 construction Activity-Start in Hungary

Press Release on EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary Q1 2023

Q1 2023 saw very low Activity-Start in the Hungarian construction industry with only HUF 374 billion worth of construction works started, according to the latest EBI Construction Activity Report. Such a low value of construction start within three months has not been seen since 2016. Compared to the outlier Q1 2022, Activity-Start fell by almost a quarter, but compared to the first three months of 2021, the drop was more than 40%. The value of started works seems particularly modest and the extent of falloff particularly large if we consider that the sector has recently experienced massive price changes. At constant prices, it was only in 2012 when a lower volume of construction works started during three months, and the drop against Q1 2021 already surpasses 60% at constant prices.

EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary analyses the construction industry on a quarterly basis, including the volume of newly started construction works and the value of projects completed in each quarter in aggregate and by segment as well. It is prepared by Buildecon, Eltinga (creation of indicators and development of algorithms for aggregation) and iBuild (project research and project database). EBI Construction Activity Report Q1 2023 has been published and can be purchased at ebi@ibuild.info.

Decline not sparing building construction work starts

The value of started building construction projects did not reach HUF 300 billion in the first three months of 2023. It has been one of the most modest quarters in recent years and last time Q2, Q3, and Q4 2020 registered construction starts of a similar value. The decrease in Activity-Start against the first quarters of 2021 and 2022 was 42%-48%. At constant prices, the drop is even more visible: such low numbers were last seen in the segment in 2013-2014.

Both residential and non-residential buildings recorded a decline in Activity-Start. In the former, the value of started construction works stayed below HUF 40 billion, while in the latter, Activity-Start was around HUF 260 billion. At constant prices, these numbers represented the 2014-2015 volumes.

Biggest building construction projects launched in Q1 2023 included several logistics centres like Robert Bosch Power Tool logistics centre in Miskolc, BMW logistics centre in Debrecen, Waberers centre in Ecser, or Blister-Labor-Telemedicina centre in Bicske. The construction of several factories and warehouses also started such as Schneider Electric’s Duna Smart Power System smart factory in Dunavecse, Phase 2 of the Mercedes-Benz body part production plant and Phase 2 of its assembly plant in Kecskemét; another phase of Nestlé Purina pet food production plant in Bük or Rheinmetail ammunition factory in Várpalota. Two large hotel construction projects also began: Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge Hotel and Movenpick Palace Hotel Budapest.

Few civil engineering works began

Civil engineering Activity-Start continued to decrease after Q2, Q3 and Q4 2022. The total value of started civil engineering projects did not reach HUF 80 billion (the lowest value since 2016), and at constant prices the volume has never been so low in any quarter since 2012.

In road and railway construction, projects started in the value of only about HUF 20 billion, while non-road and non-railway constructions saw an Activity-Start of about HUF 60 billion, roughly the level of Q3-Q4 2021 and Q1 2022.

In Q1 2023 hardly any civil engineering project was among the largest ones. Major projects included the recultivation of the Oroszlány tailings site, the Budapest Freeport project, and the development of Hungaroring’s utility network.

Northern Great Plain ahead of Budapest

Looking at the last four quarters, the highest value of construction projects started in the Northern Great Plain region with a share of roughly 23%. Budapest saw the second highest value of construction starts, while Pest County came third. With this, around 37% of the national Activity-Start was realized in Central Hungary. About 40% of started construction works belonged to Eastern Hungary, while slightly more than 20% of the Activity-Start was connected to Western Hungary with 5% of Activity-Start in Southern Transdanubia.

Hardly any multi-unit housing project-start

The first three months of this year registered very few multi-unit housing project starts. The last time the value of Activity-Start was lower than the current one was in Q3 2020. Before that only the quarters of 2015 saw a similar amount. The drop is even more significant at constant prices: the Q1 2023 level recalls the 2014 volume. In the last quarter of last year several developers decided to launch a new phase of their projects because of which, despite unfavourable market conditions, Activity-Start increased compared to previous quarters. That is why it was expected that the following three months would not be the time for major construction starts. Yet, the two quarters together reported weak figures.

Continue reading Poor Q1 2023 construction Activity-Start in Hungary

Q4 2022 sees a continued low value of construction starts in Hungary

Press Release on EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary Q4 2022

The latest EBI Construction Activity Report has found that after the weak Q3 2022, Q4 2022 saw a slight nominal expansion in Activity-Start in Hungarian construction. Nonetheless, the value of started construction works was still very low; between October and December 2022 they totalled roughly HUF 650 billion.

This time, though, for better comparability, the analysts of EBI Construction Activity Report also looked at the development of Activity-Start in Q4 2022 at constant prices. This shows that Q4 witnessed a considerably lower construction value, a bit more than Q3 (the negative record in recent years). Yet, whole-year-figures were high thanks to the higher Activity-Start in the first two quarters of 2022 and projects entered construction on more than HUF 3600 billion. Although it was a new record at current prices, it did not approach the highest values of 2017 and 2018 at constant prices and was at the level of 2019 and 2021. Annual change compared to 2021 at current prices was about +21%, while at constant prices it meant a drop of 0.6%.

EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary analyses the construction industry on a quarterly basis, including the volume of newly started construction works and the value of projects completed in each quarter in aggregate and by segment as well. It is prepared by Buildecon, Eltinga (creation of indicators and development of algorithms for aggregation) and iBuild (project research and project database). The EBI Construction Activity Report Q4 2022 can be purchased at ebi@ibuild.info.

Expansion in value of started building construction works

The modest rise in Activity-Start at current prices was mostly coming from the expansion of building construction with the value of started construction works being HUF 500 billion in Q4 2022. Overall, the entire 2022 brought high numbers. Projects worth more than HUF 2000 billion entered implementation – the highest ever registered.

In Q4 the improvement over Q3 was evident in building construction even at constant prices. But the value of started works, except for 2020, was lower than the quarterly values of the past years. At constant prices, the Activity-Start indicator dropped during 2022 (-16.8%) and was roughly at the level of 2019. The better last three months were also typical for multi-unit housing and non-residential buildings, whether we look at current or constant prices.

In 2022, non-residential construction works were launched at a value of more than HUF 1800 billion, the highest amount so far. Thanks to the good first half of the year, even at constant prices, last year was considered a strong year: constant-price Activity Start of EBI Construction Activity Report was the third highest after 2018 and 2021.

Building construction projects launched in Q4 2022 included the CATL battery factory, the BMW plant, and the EcoPro BM electric battery cathode manufacturing plant in Debrecen.  Construction also began on the CTP warehouses in Szigetszentmiklós, the University of Veterinary Medicine and the Siemens Energy M2B gas and steam turbine parts manufacturing plant in Budapest, as well as the logistics hall of HelloParks in Fót.

Continue reading Q4 2022 sees a continued low value of construction starts in Hungary

EECFA 2022 Winter Construction Forecast

EECFA’s 2022 Winter Construction Forecast Report was released on 5 December. Full reports can be purchased. Discounts and sample reports: info@eecfa.com. EECFA (Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association) conducts research on the construction markets of 8 Eastern-European countries.

Yet another downward revision characterizes the forecast for both regions. Southeast Europe could see shrinkage on the horizon. This, however, comes after a great period of construction in between 2016 and 2021, so the market is foreseen to come down from a peak level. In this respect, the 3% decline until 2024 is no drama, in EECFA’s view. The drama is in East Europe where the peak was reached in 2018 and the market was around 10% below that peak level even before the Ukraine war began. Since then, EECFA has paused issuing forecasts in Ukraine and a status report has been prepared. Without Ukraine, the region is expected to reach its bottom in 2023.

In Southeast Europe, almost all countries have been revised downward. Three out of them, however, could see expansion until 2024. The foreseen contraction in Romania and Serbia pulls down the region to negative. Romania is quite pessimistic; the market could shrink by almost 10% by 2024. Serbia is expected to witness a sizeable drop, too, before growth returns in 2024. As the region saw much construction in 2016-2021, the market will likely decline from the peak, making the 3% drop on the forecast horizon not-so-drastic.

Bulgaria:

  • Under the projected economic slowdown, construction will increasingly be affected by the ongoing political instability that is likely to undermine reforms within the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and delay implementation of the EU’s operational programmes.
  • Тotal construction output is estimated to have grown in 2022.
  • For 2023-2024 civil engineering is forecasted to increase at a more accelerated pace.

Croatia:

  • Residential construction output held up in 2022, impervious to war and disease. But it’s likely residential’s rapid growth will over time succumb to rising prices and a falling population.
  • Rail construction output will rise as more rail projects come online. Some new high-cost road projects may yet be undertaken for political reasons.
  • Energy prices will fuel building of oil/gas port facilities, pipelines and storage in 2022-2023, construction that the EU’s green-energy push may quench in favor of renewable energy and power grid projects.

Romania:

  • The Romanian construction market is set to shrink slightly in 2023 and 2024 as internal and external factors conspire to make building materials more costly. 
  • Inflation-induced lower purchasing power and growing mortgage interest rates are making loans more expensive, and few people can afford to buy a home in cash. 
  • On the one hand, Romania could benefit from the current global instability and attract more foreign investment to grow its economy. On the other, increased energy costs translate to higher operating and construction costs and discourage investment. 

Serbia:

  • The challenging economic situation will undoubtedly have negative effects on construction outputs. But how negative is the question of external factors and the coming events.
  • The domestic market is strong, with high public and foreign investments, as well as record employment. The highest economic risk comes from inflation and the expected recession in the EU.
  • The current economic slowdown could deepen the contraction in case of a prolonged crisis.

Slovenia:

  • Slovenia has experienced expansion in construction output on the back of the strong overall economic growth.
  • However, risks for the future include high inflation, large construction cost increases, and overheating economic growth. And increased interest rates will depress residential output in the future.
  • Supply chain constraints might jeopardize the completion of large civil engineering projects.

In East Europe, 2022 could be the 4th consecutive year of drop in Türkiye, and no quick recovery is foreseen on the horizon. We have turned somewhat optimistic in Russia, but only from 2024 on. Without Ukraine, the region will likely hit bottom in 2023. The region reached its peak in 2018 and just before the war in Ukraine started, the market was around 10% below this 2018 level. Owing to the war, Uvecon, the Ukrainian member institute of EECFA, has prepared a status report for the second time instead of the forecast report.

Russia:

  • Direct and indirect effects of sanctions hammered the construction market that declined faster in 2022 than previously expected.
  • Forced acceleration of projects in transport and energy, in response to export and import structure changes due to sanctions, will spur growth in civil engineering.
  • Many targeted programs and national projects will support the construction sector throughout the forecast horizon.

Türkiye:

  • The construction industry has been trying to deal with high inflation that has led to 120% yearly rise in construction cost and 189% increase in housing prices.
  • There has been some deficit between produced and needed home numbers since 2000, augmented by the influx of refugees from Syria and neighbouring countries (3,920 million registered; unknown unregistered).
  • The low-cost housing project of the government as of September is expected to stop the current slump in the construction sector.

Ukraine:

  • Prospects for construction depend on the existing situation on the market as a result of the destruction of residential, non-residential and engineering infrastructure, and the end of hostilities with the possible economic recovery.
  • Total area of damaged or destroyed housing is 74.1 million sqm (7.3% of the total area of Ukraine’s housing stock), a number which, unfortunately, grows every day. Restoring the housing stock will become a key issue for Ukraine after the war ends.
  • Energy infrastructure remains the top priority for recovery, as nearly 40% of the energy system has been destroyed.

Construction in Hungary leaves a weak quarter behind

Press Release on EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary Q3 2022

EBI Construction Activity-Start recorded a sharp falloff in Q3 2022. Between July and September, construction projects started at a value of less than HUF 480 billion – the lowest amount since Q3 2020.

The recent years have seen a considerable price rise in the Hungarian construction industry. In order to filter this out, the analysts of EBI Construction Activity Report compared the value of started construction works at constant prices, using Q3 2022 prices. Based on this, at constant prices, an even greater decline is seen in case of started construction works. In Q3 2022 they have registered their lowest value since 2015. At the same time, thanks to the successful first quarter, the drop was not yet visible based on the figures of the first 9 months, which even at constant prices exceeded the same periods of 2020 and 2021.

EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary analyses the construction industry on a quarterly basis, including the volume of newly started construction works and the value of projects completed in each quarter in aggregate and by segment as well. It is prepared by Buildecon, Eltinga (creation of indicators and development of algorithms for aggregation) and iBuild (project research and project database). The EBI Construction Activity Report Q3 2022 has been released and can be purchased at ebi@ibuild.info.

Value of building construction works down

The decline in Activity-Start witnessed in the construction industry as a whole was observed in building construction, too. The total value of started construction works was around HUF 300 billion, far below the typical first and second quarters. Looking at constant prices, the drop is even more visible. One needs to go back to Q1 2015 to find a lower value than this year’s third quarter. Yet, it is also true in case of buildings that the better first and second quarters pushed up annual figures.

The decrease was also true to residential and non-residential. For the latter, the Activity-Start of EBI Construction Activity Report was around HUF 260 billion, which, at current prices, fell short not only of the figures of the first two quarters, but also of most of the levels of quarters between 2018 and 2021. At constant prices, it was the lowest since Q1 2015.

Building construction projects launched in Q3 2022 included the W-Scope separator film factory in Nyíregyháza, and ParkSide Offices, RTL HQ, Zugló-Városközpont Offices 1 in Budapest. Work also began between July and September on Phase 2 of Campus in Kecskemét, Panattoni Park Budapest City West logistics center in Törökbálint, and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Gödöllő.

Continue reading Construction in Hungary leaves a weak quarter behind

More cautious Hungarian construction industry

Press Release on EBI Construction Activity Report Hungary Q2 2022

Hungary’s high construction Activity Start in Q1 2022 was followed by a slowdown in Q2. The Q2 2022 EBI Construction Activity Report has found that between this April and June construction works started at a value of around HUF 800 billion. Although the value of projects entering construction decreased in Q2, these are not low numbers at all as Activity Start has been the 5th highest (on a quarterly basis) of recent years. It should be added, though, that recently construction costs have dramatically increased, massively pushing up the Activity Start indicator calculated at current prices, while at constant prices the volume would be lower.

Continue reading More cautious Hungarian construction industry

EECFA countries in the European Commission’s 2022 Macro Forecast

Prepared by Tünde Tancsics and Dóra Barát – ELTINGA-EECFA Research

Prior to the publication of our 2022 Summer EECFA Construction Forecast Report, the European Commission released its forecast for the economic prospects for EECFA countries. Here are the main changes in the prospects between Autumn 2021 and Spring 2022. And as a comparison, at the end of the post you can check how we have revised our forecast.

Economic outlook has deteriorated in almost all EECFA countries compared to autumn but remains positive in most. The only exception is Russia where the economy is expected to shrink instead of the previously anticipated growth due to the war and the related sanctions. The prolongation of the war could also lead to a further decline in the economic growth of all countries.

Link to this viz >>

Apart from Russia, the rest of the EECFA countries (plus Hungary, which is a Euroconstruct member) were expected to see high growth rates of over 3.8% in Autumn 2021. The slowdown of economic growth in Slovenia and Serbia is projected to be moderate, respective -0.5 and -0.7 percentage points in the Spring 2022 forecast for the period of 2022-2023. However, all other EECFA countries have larger projected declines in economic growth (ranging from -1.2% to -6.9%) compared to both the EU and the Eurozone. The forecasted economic growth fell most in Russia, Romania and Turkey (-6.9, -2.1 and -1.5 percentage points respectively). Russia is the only country that not only represents an economic contraction (-4.45%) but is also the only EECFA country to remain below the estimated GDP growth rate of the EU and Eurozone for Spring 2022. Thus, apart from Russia, the others still have the same or higher economic growth than the EU average.

In terms of gross fixed capital formation (investment), predicted growth has decreased in both EECFA countries and the Euroconstruct member Hungary, as well as in the EU. However, the extent of this decrease varies significantly among countries. Whilst in the EU and the Eurozone, projected GFCF growth fell moderately (-1.1% and -0.9%, respectively), all other countries are expected to see a decline of over 2 percentage points, Bulgaria excepted. This implies, for instance, stagnating GFCF in Bulgaria and a remarkably large negative growth in Russia (-11%), similar to the GDP growth indicator. There is also a notable falloff in Hungary and Romania (-4.9 and -4.6 percentage points, respectively), although the former started from an expected growth of more than 10% in autumn, while the latter from only 6%. It suggests that the estimated growth of the GFCF for 2022-2023 in Spring 2022 is just above 1% in Hungary. In other EECFA countries, the decline in GFCF growth varies between 2.2 and 3.1 percentage points.

Construction growth has been revised downward everywhere except for Bulgaria (0.4 percentage points). While in the EU and Eurozone the indicator declined by approximately 1 percentage point, in Slovenia, Romania and Hungary, construction growth is to fall by more than 5 percentage points in 2022-2023. However, growth remains positive for every country where data is available, with Bulgaria leading the prospects (6.6%).

So this above is the European Commission’s opinion. And here you can check how we, EECFA see the upcoming years for Eastern European construction markets. Croatia and Slovenia are on the top, while Russia and Serbia are on the bottom.

Link to this viz >>

Our approach is different from that of the Commission, as we provide forecast for each segment of construction. That is, we have a bottom-up approach, where forecast is computed separately for residential, office, retail, industrial buildings, roads, railways, utility etc. segments. Mail us if you are interested.

Or check our sample report and order on eecfa.com