Compared with February, seasonally adjusted industrial production in March decreased 0.3 percent in the euro area (EA19) and remained stable in the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In February, industrial production rose by 1 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.
In March compared with March 2014, industrial production increased by 1.8 percent in the euro area and by 2 percent in the EU28.
Industrial production decreased 0.3 percent in the euro area in March 2015, compared with February 2015, due to production of energy falling by 1.7%, both capital goods and durable consumer goods by 0.9%, and intermediate goods by 0.3%, while non-durable consumer goods increased by 2.3%.
Industrial production remained stable in the EU28 due to production of non-durable consumer goods rising by 2.1% and intermediate goods remaining stable, while capital goods and durable consumer goods both fell by 0.5%, and energy by 1%.
The largest decreases in industrial production were registered in the Netherlands (-3.6%), Lithuania (-3.4%) and Estonia (-1%), and the highest increases in Latvia (+10.9%), Denmark (+4.6%), and Ireland (+3%).
Annual comparison
The increase of 1.8% in industrial production in the euro area in March 2015, compared with March 2014, is due to production of non-durable consumer goods rising by 5.7%, energy by 3.8% and capital goods by 0.3%, while intermediate goods remained stable and durable consumer goods fell by 1.7%.
In the EU28, the increase of 2% is due to production of non-durable consumer goods rising by 4.6%, energy by 2.3%, capital goods by 1.2%, intermediate goods by 0.9% and durable consumer goods by 0.3%.
The highest increases in industrial production were registered in Ireland (+40%), Hungary (+8.9%), Latvia (+8.7%) and Poland (+6.6%). Decreases were recorded in Finland (-4.4%), Sweden (-1.1%), Malta (-1%) and Germany (-0.1%).
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