Malta was among the worst performers in industrial production in December, according to Eurostat figures issued today.

The statistics agency said that  industrial production was stable in the euro area (EA18) and rose by 0.1% in the while EU.

In December 2014 compared with December 2013, industrial production decreased by 0.2% in the euro area and increased by 0.3% in the EU28.
The average industrial production for the year 2014, compared with 2013, rose by 0.6% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU28.

Monthly comparison
Industrial production was stable in the euro area in December 2014, compared with November 2014, due to production of durable consumer goods rising by 2.3%, intermediate goods by 1.1%, energy by 1.0% and capital goods by 0.2%, while non-durable consumer goods fell by 1.8%.

In the EU28, the increase of 0.1% was due to production of durable consumer goods rising by 2.0%, intermediate goods by 1.0%, capital goods by 0.7% and energy by 0.3%, while non-durable consumer goods fell by 1.4%.

The largest decreases in industrial production were registered in Ireland (-12.4%), Portugal (-3.6%) and Malta (-3.3%), and the highest increases in Poland (+2.0%), France (+1.6%) and Sweden (+1.2%).

Annual comparison  
The decrease of 0.2% in industrial production in the euro area in December 2014, compared with December 2013, was due to production of energy falling by 1.7%, durable consumer goods by 0.5%, capital goods by 0.3% and intermediate goods by 0.2%, while non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.7%.

In the EU28, the increase of 0.3% is due to production of durable consumer goods rising by 3.0%, capital goods by 1.2%, intermediate goods by 0.8% and non-durable consumer goods by 0.5%, while energy fell by 1.8%

The largest decreases in industrial production were registered in Greece (-4.2%), Malta (-3.8%) and Portugal (-3.1%), and the highest increases in Ireland (+18.2%), Estonia (+7.6%) and Poland (+5.7%).