Catalan Industrial production recovers and exceeds 2019 levels

BarcelonaIndustrial production in Catalonia grew by 0.8% in September compared to the same month in 2019, so that Catalan industry now produces at levels higher than a year ago. As for Spain as a whole, the year-on-year rate of change was -0.6% compared to September last year, so it has not fully recovered from the shock produced during the spring by the containment measures.

However, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics, if adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects, the reduction compared with September of the previous year was greater, 3.4%. Compared to August, it increased by 0.8% in the State as a whole.

Industrial production was strongly affected in March and April, when the Spanish government decreed a state of alarm to stop the expansion of covid-19, and fell by 34% compared to 2019 levels. However, it gradually recovered from May onwards, when economic activity in both Spain and international markets gradually picked up.

The production of durable goods - cars, household appliances, etc. - was the one that grew the most, with a year-on-year increase of 4.7% in Spain as a whole. In contrast, the production of non-durable goods was lower but also positive, 1.1%, and that of intermediate goods, 0.9%. At the other extreme, energy production continued to decline, with a drop of 3.4%, as did capital goods, which fell by 2.3%.

By Autonomous Community, the Balearic Islands and Asturias were the regions where industrial production suffered the most, which, respectively, was 21.1% and 12.7% lower than twelve months ago. On the other hand, Aragon and Galicia are the regions with the biggest rises, with year-on-year increases of 8.1% and 7.2%.