To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, EU Member States have taken a wide variety of restrictive measures. These imposed measures had in general a negative effect on demand and thus on industrial production in many areas.
In March 2020, industrial production in the EU fell by 10.9% compared with February 2020 and by 12.2% compared with March 2019. The fall continued in April 2020, when EU industrial production fell by 17.3% compared with March 2020 and by 27.2% compared with April 2019.
Looking at the different industries, the one with the largest decline in production in March and April 2020 was motor vehicles (-33.5 % in March and -68.5 in April compared with the previous months), followed by manufacturing of leather products (-40.4% and -60.2%) and wearing apparel (-32.8% and -30.4%).
Pharmaceutical products had an increase of 16.9% in March, which turned to a decrease of -11.9% in April.
Industrial production in the Member States
In March compared with February 2020 the largest decreases were recorded in Italy (-28.4%), Slovakia (-20.3%) and Luxembourg (-19.8%). In March, industrial production still increased in four Member States, in Ireland (15.3%), Finland (2.2%), Greece (1.9%) and Lithuania (1.7%).
In April compared with March 2020 the industrial production fell in all Member States, with the largest decreases in Hungary (-30.5%), Romania (-27.7%) and Slovakia (-26.7%).
For more information, see the Statistics Explained article on the impact of Covid-19 on industrial production.
Note:
- April 2020 data are not yet available for Cyprus and Austria.
- The European Union (EU) includes 27 EU Member States. The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. Further information is published here.
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