In March this year, seasonally-adjusted industrial production increased by 0.5 percent in the euro area and rose by 0.4 percent in the EU-28, as compared with February. Industrial production in February had decreased by 0.9 percent in the euro area and by 0.7 percent in the EU-28, on month-on-month basis. In March this year compared with March 2017, industrial production increased by three percent both in the euro area and in the EU-28. These figures are released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union.
As compared to February, in March this year the production of capital goods decreased by 0.6 percent in the euro area and by 0.2 percent in the EU-28, while the production of non-durable consumer goods increased by 1.1 percent in the euro area and by 0.8 percent in the EU-28. In March this year, the production of energy was up by 0.8 percent in the euro area and by 1.3 percent in the EU-28, and the production of durable goods rose by 1.5 percent in the euro area and by 1.3 percent in the EU-28, all month on month. Meanwhile, the production of intermediate goods moved down by 0.1 percent in the euro area and by 0.3 percent in the EU-28, month on month.
Among the member states, in March the highest month-on-month increases were registered in Estonia (4.1%), Portugal (3.7%), and Greece (2.6%), and the highest decreases in Ireland (7%) and Croatia (4.3%), and Latvia (3.5%).
As compared to the same month of 2017, in March 2018 production of energy increased by 8.1 percent in the euro area and by 7.9 percent in the EU-28. In the same month, production of intermediate goods rose by 1.6 percent in the euro area and 1.4 percent in the EU-28, and production of capital goods increased by 2.7 percent in the euro area and by 3.5 percent in the EU-28, all year on year. In March this year, production of non-durable consumer goods moved up by 1.8 percent in the euro area and by 1.2 percent in the EU-28 and production of durable consumer goods increased by 2.6 percent both in the euro area and in the EU-28, all year-on-year basis.
Among the member states for which data are available, in March the largest year-on-year increases were registered in Lithuania (11.5%), Estonia (7.6%) and Finland (7.0%), while decreases were observed in Ireland (14.7%), Malta (3.2%) and Slovakia (2.3%).