Summary
The new orders in construction index presented a year-on-year decrease of 32.8% in the 1st quarter 2012 (change rate of -20.7% in the fourth quarter 2011). This more negative behaviour was mainly driven by the stronger reduction observed in the sector of Civil Engineering, which moved from a change rate of -20.5% in the 4th quarter 2011 to  38.0% in the following quarter. The quarterly change rate of the new orders in construction index was -10.9%.