According to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, in August this year seasonally adjusted industrial production grew by 0.6 percent month on month in the European Union member states (EU-27). In July industrial production in the region had increased by 0.3 percent over June.
However, as compared with August 2008, industrial production in the EU-27 in August this year declined by 13.5 percent.
In August 2009, production of durable consumer goods increased by 4.5 percent month on month and was down three percent year on year, while production of capital goods grew by 1.3 percent over July and decreased by 19.7 percent compared to August 2008. Production of intermediate goods rose by 0.6 percent in August compared to July this year but was down 18 percent over the same month of the previous year. While production of energy remained stable in August compared to July, the year-on-year decrease was 6.2 percent.
Among the member states for which data are available, industrial production rose in eleven and fell in ten member states in August over July. The highest monthly increases were registered in Italy with seven percent, in Portugal with 5.2 percent and Slovenia with 4.9 percent; meanwhile, the most significant decline were observed in Ireland with 16.7 percent, in Lithuania with 4.2 percent and in Luxembourg with three percent.