December's Industrial Production Decline

According to the latest report from Eurostat, the Eurozone experienced a 1.1% decrease in seasonally adjusted industrial production in December compared to the previous month. This downturn was mirrored across the entire European Union, which saw a 0.8% drop. Year-over-year figures also painted a bleak picture, with industrial output falling by 2% in the euro area and 1.7% in the EU.

Sector-wise Breakdown

Breaking down the figures, the production of intermediate goods, durable consumer goods, and capital goods in the Eurozone fell by 1.9%, 0.7%, and 2.6%, respectively. Conversely, the energy sector and non-durable consumer goods saw an increase of 0.5% and 5.1%. A similar pattern was observed across the EU, with non-durable consumer goods and energy production rising by 5.2% and 0.6%, respectively.

Country-specific Impacts

Among the EU Member States, Bulgaria experienced the steepest decline at 6.8%, followed by Austria and Italy with decreases of 3.3% and 3.1%, respectively.