In March, industrial production increased compared to the previous year

News
Posted on 30 April 2015, 11:00

According to Statistics Estonia, in March 2015, the production of industrial enterprises increased by 1% compared to March of the previous year. Production increased in manufacturing, but decreased in mining and energy production.

In March, the production in manufacturing increased 3% compared to the same month of the previous year. The growth in production volume was caused primarily by an increase in the manufacture of electronic and wood products, where production rose 12% and 3%, respectively. In March, among the branches of industry holding larger shares, the production rose in the manufacture of food, metal products and electrical equipment. Production growth became more broad-based – in March, more than a half of the branches of industry surpassed the volume of the previous year. Among the branches of industry holding larger shares, the volume of production fell in the manufacture of chemical products, building materials and plastic products.

72% of the whole production of manufacturing was sold on the external market in March. Compared to March 2014, export sales as well as domestic sales of manufacturing production rose about 6% according to unadjusted data.

In March 2015 compared to February 2015, the seasonally adjusted total industrial production decreased by 1%, the volume of manufacturing production did not change.

Compared to March 2014, the production of electricity decreased by 14% and the production of heat increased by 2%.

Diagram: Volume index and trend of production in manufacturing

Change in volume index of industrial production, March 2015 (percentages)
Economic activity Change compared to the previous month according to seasonally adjusted dataa Change compared to the corresponding month of the previous year
according to unadjusted data according to working-day adjusted datab
TOTAL -1.0 4.0 1.4
Energy production -11.3 -8.8 -10.1
Mining 3.4 0.1 -2.1
Manufacturing 0.2 5.9 3.0
manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products -3.6 15.3 12.0
manufacture of wood and wood products -1.8 5.4 3.0
manufacture of food products 2.6 6.5 4.8
manufacture of fabricated metal products 0.3 8.1 4.4
manufacture of electrical equipment 0.7 4.9 1.1
manufacture of chemicals and chemical products -2.4 -15.7 -18.3
manufacture of furniture 3.8 12.3 8.4
manufacture of motor vehicles 0.6 11.6 8.7
manufacture of building materials 5.1 -3.1 -5.4
manufacture of machinery and equipment -3.0 11.3 7.6

a In the case of the seasonally adjusted volume index of industrial production, the impact of the differing number of working days in a month and seasonally recurring factors have been eliminated. It is calculated only in comparison with the previous period.

b In the case of the working-day adjusted volume index of industrial production, the impact of the differing number of working days in a month has been eliminated. It is calculated only in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous year.

The statistics are based on the questionnaires “Industry”, the submission date of which was 15.04.2015, and “Energy production, sales and fuel consumption”, the submission date of which was 10.04.2015. Statistics Estonia published the monthly overview in ten working days.