National Institute of Statistics, Italy

Data source(s) used: Quick survey on building permits: Quick Survey on building permits is a quartely and sample survey; it collects information on new building projects (residential or non-residential) or enlargement of pre-existing buildings, with the exception of transformations and renovations. Information is supplied by those who ask for building permits or start-of-work notification (DIA) or SCIA and is collected by municipalities that monthly send the material to Istat.

Data source(s) used: Business confidence survey in Construction: The survey is a part of the joint harmonized European Union programme of business and consumer surveys (the latest relevant normative is the Commission’s decision: COM (2006) 379 , 2006 July 12). The survey provides information about managers' assessments and expectations on the main economic variables in their company (e.g. assessments on order books and construction activity, expectations on orders, etc.). The reporting unit and the sample unit is the firm. The target universe is made up of Italian firms with three or more employees classified in Section F in NACE rev.2 . The survey is monthly and since November 2011 data collection technique used is CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) . The sample design is stratified by economic sectors (identified by the divisions of section F in NACE rev.2), geographic partitions and firm sizes (in terms of employees). The sampling frame is based on ASIA archive (Statistical archive of active firms). The survey is addressed to a panel of 700 firms. The confidence indicator, according to the EU methodology, is calculated as the simple arithmetic average of the balances of answers to the question on assessments on order books and to the question on the expectations on employment. The confidence climate index is released for the whole sector and for the sub-sectors (the three divisions of NACE (rev.2) – section F: construction of buildings, civil engineering and specialized construction activities). All series are seasonally adjusted using the Tramo-Seats method. Other data characteristics: All the series are estimated using the gross value added at factor cost as weight. More specifically, estimates until 2009 are obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2005; starting from 2010 estimates were obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2012. The series under the heading Previous series - climate (2005 = 100), instead, are weighed with similar weights pertaining to the year 2005 for all the period released. At the same time the publication of march 2015, the confidence climate index both for the whole sector and economic sub-sectors (the divisions provided in NACE (rev.2): construction of buildings, civil engineering and specialized construction activities) is released with base 2010=100.Balances are calculated by considering the frequencies not rounded.: Variables concerning credit:since 2015, October, variables are surveyed quarterly; more specifically they are surveyed in March, June, September and December. Raw series are available starting from 2009, May.

Data source(s) used: Construction cost index for residential buildings: The construction costs index for residential building approximates the monthly evolution of costs of the residential construction sector. Construction cost indices for road stretch: The indices approximates the monthly evolution of construction costs for road stretch

Data source(s) used: Production index - construction: The field of observation of the estimated index of production in construction (IPC) is all construction activities referred both to new and maintenance activity. The periodicity of the index was quarterly until the third quarter of 2010, after which began disseminating monthly. Due to the difficulty in doing a direct survey on building companies, an indirect methodology is used to calculate the IPC: output changes are calculated on the basis of a production function that combine the production inputs (working hours, intermediate inputs and physical capital). The production function is estimated using elementary enterprise data referred to the year 2005. This indirect approach is also recommended in Eurostat short-term statistics methodological to solve problems arising in measuring the output of the construction sector for the strong prevalence of small and very small building companies.Survey on building workers' welfare funds:Survey on working hours in construction sector. The survey is performed with a monthly frequency, and the data are one of the sources of the process “Index of production in construction”. This index is disseminated with a monthly frequency. The survey data are not released directly.