Malta sees huge decrease in industrial production

Malta Independent Thursday, 13 February 2014, 10:57 Last update: about 13 years ago

Industrial production decreased in Malta by 7.3% on an annual basis, from December 2012 to December 2013, Eurostat reported yesterday.

Malta’s decrease was the largest among all EU member states.

In December 2013 compared with November 2013, seasonally adjusted industrial production1 fell by 0.7% in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In November industrial production rose by 1.6% and 1.3% respectively.

In December 2013 compared with December 2012, industrial production grew by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.9% in the EU28.

Average industrial production for the year 2013, compared with 2012, dropped by 0.8% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU28.

In December 2013 compared with November 2013, production of capital goods decreased by 2.1% in the euro area and by 1.9% in the EU28. Energy fell by 2.1% and 1.5% respectively. Non-durable consumer goods dropped by 0.1% in the euro area and increased by 0.1% in the EU28. Durable consumer goods rose by 0.4% in the euro area, but decreased by 0.3% in the EU28. Intermediate goods grew by 0.9% and 0.7% respectively.

Among the member states for which data are available, industrial production fell in 19 and rose in four. The largest decreases were registered in Estonia (-5.7%), Sweden (-2.7%), the Netherlands (-2.6%) and Croatia (-2.4%), and the increases in Slovenia (+2.7%), Greece (+2.6%), Portugal (+0.7%) and the United Kingdom (+0.4%).

In December 2013 compared with December 2012, production of intermediate goods rose by 3.6% in the euro area and by 3.7% in the EU28. Capital goods fell by 0.3% in the euro area, but grew by 0.7% in the EU28. Nondurable consumer goods decreased by 0.9% in the euro area, but gained 0.3% in the EU28. Durable consumer goods decreased by 1.2% and 0.8% respectively. Energy fell by 1.9% in the euro area and by 2.3% in the EU28.

Among the member states for which data are available, industrial production rose in 10 and fell in 13. The highest increases were registered in Portugal (+7.1%), Romania (+7.0%), the Czech Republic (+6.7%) and Slovenia (+5.2%), and the largest decreases in Malta (-7.3%), Ireland (-6.7%), Estonia (-6.4%) and Finland (-4.8%).