EU-27 monthly industrial production rises by one percent in May over April

Seasonally-adjusted industrial production in the European Union member states (EU-27) in May 2010 rose by one percent month on month, according to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In April, industrial production in the region had increased by 0.5 percent over March.
 
On the other hand, compared with May 2009, industrial production in the EU-27 in May this year improved by 8.7 percent. May was the fifth consecutive month in which a year-on-year increase was recorded.
 
In May this year, production of durable consumer goods in the EU-27 increased by 1.8 percent as compared to the previous month and was up 7.7 percent year on year, while production of intermediate goods grew by 0.8 percent in May compared to April and was up 13.7 percent over the same month of the previous year. In addition, production of energy in the EU-27 increased by 1.3 percent month on month, while the year-on-year increase was 4.3 percent.
 
Among the member states for which data are available, in May industrial production rose in sixteen member states and fell in six other member states, compared to April. The highest month-on-month increases were registered in Ireland with 7.5 percent, in Slovenia with 4.5 percent and in Poland and Sweden, both with 3.4 percent; meanwhile, the most significant declines were observed in Luxembourg with 6.5 percent, and in Portugal with 0.7 percent.