In February 2020, the month before coronavirus containment measures began to be widely introduced by Member States, compared with January 2020, seasonally adjusted industrial production fell by 0.1% in the euro area and remained unchanged in the EU, according to estimates from Eurostat.
In January 2020, industrial production grew by 2.3% in the euro area and by 2.1% in the EU.
In February 2020 compared with February 2019, industrial production decreased by 1.9% in the euro area and by 1.3% in the EU.
Monthly comparison by main industrial grouping and by Member State
In the euro area in February 2020, compared with January 2020, production of durable consumer goods fell by 2.0% and capital goods by 1.5%, while production of both intermediate goods and non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.4% and energy by 0.7%.
In the EU, production of durable consumer goods fell by 1.4% and capital goods by 1.2%, while production of both intermediate goods and non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.6% and energy by 1.0%.
Among Member States for which data are available, the largest decreases in industrial production were registered in Greece (-3.7%), Portugal (-2.8%) and Malta (-2.6%). The highest increases were observed in Estonia (+8.7%), Denmark (+3.7%) and Latvia (+3.1%).
Annual comparison by main industrial grouping and by Member State
In the euro area in February 2020, compared with February 2019, production of capital goods fell by 3.6%, energy by 2.2% and intermediate goods by 0.8%, while production of non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.1% and durable consumer goods by 0.9%.
In the EU, production of capital goods fell by 3.1%, energy by 1.7% and intermediate goods by 0.2%, while production of non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.5% and durable consumer goods by 1.5%.
Among Member States for which data are available, the largest decreases in industrial production were registered in Luxembourg (-8.0%), Ireland (-6.8%) and Greece (-3.5%). The highest increases were observed in Malta (+10.5%), Poland (+3.6%) and Slovenia (+2.4%).
The euro area (EA19) includes Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.
The European Union (EU27) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden. ■