Construction output in the 17 nations that use the euro dropped 2.7 per cent in April compared to the month before, and five per cent from April 2011, the European Union's official statistics agency Eurostat said Tuesday.

Eurostat also lowered its estimate for the growth of construction output in March, to 11.4 per cent from 12.4 per cent.

The decline in construction during April was widespread across the currency area, with building work down six per cent in Germany, 2.3 per cent in Spain and 4.4 per cent in Italy. Among the eurozone's larger economies, only France posted a significant increase, of 2.3 per cent.