26 January 2000
NORTHERN IRELAND INDEX OF CONSTRUCTION
The Northern Ireland Index of Construction will be published on Thursday 27 January 2000. It relates to the value of construction output for the period 1 July to 30 September 1999. All figures are provisional .
During the three months ending 30 September 1999:
- The seasonally adjusted Index of Construction was 105.3, an increase of 0.8 points on the previous quarter (104.5), but a fall of 7.5 points on the figure for July to September 1998 (112.8).
- Activity in both the ‘private infrastructure’ (communications, natural gas etc.) and ‘private non-industrial’ (retail, communications etc.) categories was slightly higher than in the previous quarter, but substantially lower compared to the same quarter last year.
- There was an increase in output in the ‘public non-industrial’ category (health, education etc.) in comparison to both the previous quarter and the corresponding quarter in 1998.
Table 1 Northern Ireland Index of Construction (1995 = 100)(P)
Quarters Ending March 1995 – September 1999
Year / Quarter
Unadjusted
Seasonally Adjusted
1995 Jan – Mar
Apr – Jun
Jul – Sep
Oct – Dec
1996 Jan – Mar
Apr – Jun
Jul – Sep
Oct – Dec
1997 Jan – Mar
Apr –Jun
Jul – Sep
Oct – Dec
1998 Jan – Mar
Apr – Jun
Jul – Sep
Oct – Dec
1999 Jan – Mar
Apr – Jun
Jul – Sep
109.9
93.3
101.3
96.0
109.2
99.3
106.4
107.9
114.4
103.9
106.0
110.5
118.1
106.8
112.2
107.9
106.5
100.0
104.8
103.2
99.0
100.4
97.5
102.7
104.7
106.2
109.3
107.8
109.0
106.4
111.8
111.3
111.7
112.8
109.2
99.7
104.5
105.3
(P) All figures are provisional.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
- This press release has replaced the construction activity element of the former Northern Ireland Housing and Construction Bulletin. A separate Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin was published on 6 January 2000.
- The Northern Ireland Index of Construction (the Index) is an estimate of the volume of construction output by NI and GB firms operating in NI. It is an important economic indicator which contributes to the calculation of UK GDP.
- The Index is published quarterly and is compiled from a combination of:
- the NI Quarterly Construction Enquiry, a statutory survey of over 500 construction firms
- returns from public bodies which carry out construction projects
- returns on expenditure on security projects
- This quarter’s edition contains a revised and more accurate series for the Index of Construction. While previously only output figures from construction firms with 20 or more employees were included in the calculations, the Index is now based on returns from all firms in the sample, irrespective of size.
- In January 1999, the ‘base year’ for the Index was revised from 1990 to 1995. Estimates of construction output can be expressed in constant prices (1995 = 100) and comparisons with output trends in other industrial sectors can be made.
- Further information about the Index is available from:
Central Statistics and Research Branch, Department for Regional Development
Room 6.09, Clarence Court, 10 - 18 Adelaide Street, BELFAST BT2 8GB
Telephone (028) 9054 0799
Fax (028) 9054 0782
E-mail csrb@doeni.gov.uk