Eurozone industrial production slows in April

Preliminary Eurostat data show that industrial production in the euro area rose by only 0.1% in April, down from a 0.4% increase in March, indicating a slowdown. The decline was led by reduced output in the energy and capital‑goods sectors. EU‑wide figures mirrored the trend, with a 0.1% rise versus an 0.8% gain in March.

Non‑durable consumer goods saw the strongest growth, up 1.7% in the eurozone and 0.9% in the EU, while durable goods posted a modest 1.0% increase. Energy output fell 0.4% in the eurozone and 0.1% in the EU, and capital‑goods production slipped about 0.5% across both regions. The data exclude Belgium.

Country‑level variations were pronounced. Malta posted the largest monthly jump at +5.2%, followed by Sweden (+3.4%). The sharpest declines were recorded in Bulgaria (‑4.6%), with Greece and Poland each down around 3.5%. Croatia’s production fell 0.6% in April after a 1.1% drop in March, and Spain slipped 0.5%. Notably, Denmark’s annual output surged 12.2%.

On an annual basis, overall industrial production in the eurozone modestly rose 0.3%, signalling a stabilization after steeper falls earlier in the year. Energy production grew 1.6% year‑on‑year, and capital goods saw a 3.4% increase.