The value of works on buildings was down 39.6% and on other engineering structures down 15%.

According to the Statistics Office, the growth of the construction sector peaked in 2007 at a rate of 23.7% and slowed down slightly the next year (21.1%).

A decade of strong growth was followed by a staggering decline with the onset of the economic crisis. In 2009, the sector contracted by over 20%, and by a further 17% in 2010.