The Industrial Production General Index (IPI) declined by 0.4 percent in April, according to the National Statistical Institute. For the same month in the prior year, the rate stood eight tenths lower than the preceding month. This data, published on a recent Tuesday, shows a recorded drop in annual production after five straight months of year-over-year gains.
With the April figures, industrial production shifted to a downturn after a sequence of positive year-over-year readings across several months. This marks a notable shift in the production landscape for the period analyzed, reflecting varying sectoral performances within the economy.
Among intermediate goods, the worst performer in April registered a 3.7 percent year-over-year decline. Capital goods also fell, by 1.6 percent. In contrast, most other segments advanced. Energy production rose by 3.9 percent, durable consumer goods increased by 3.5 percent, and non-durable consumer goods grew by 1.7 percent when compared with April of the previous year. These shifts underscore how different industries contribute unevenly to overall industrial output during this period. The sectoral mix suggests a stronger impulse from consumer-oriented and energy-related production alongside a weakening in more capital-intensive areas.
Disaggregated by activity lines, clothing manufacturing led the annual gains with an impressive 21.9 percent increase, followed closely by leather and footwear at 21 percent and wood and cork products up 10.8 percent. These results reflect resilience in consumer goods and materials production, driven perhaps by domestic demand and export activity in related markets.
The more pronounced declines were observed in other mining industries at 13.5 percent, the manufacture of other transport equipment at 9.3 percent, water supply and sanitation activities at 8.7 percent, computer product manufacture at 8.4 percent, and motor vehicle manufacturing at 8.1 percent. Such performance indicates persistent pressures in certain manufacturing sub-sectors, which may be influenced by global supply chain dynamics and domestic investment patterns.
After seasonal and calendar adjustments, the industrial production index rose by 2.4 percent in April compared with April of the previous year, and it surpassed March by more than two percentage points, with no change in the sequence. This revised view highlights a modest but meaningful improvement when taking typical distortions into account, suggesting underlying momentum despite the annual downturn in some sectors.
Production increases observed across nine autonomous communities
Across the territory, industry moved higher year over year in nine autonomous communities while it declined in eight, led by Galicia which fell 8 percent, followed by Asturias at 4.3 percent, Navarra at 3.8 percent, and Murcia at 3.5 percent. The regional picture reveals a mixed performance, with some areas contributing to the national uptick and others facing steeper slowdowns.
On the positive side, the Balearic Islands recorded the strongest gains at 22.2 percent, followed by Extremadura at 21.5 percent and Aragón at 10.4 percent. These regional upticks point to localized drivers of growth, possibly tied to sectoral strengths such as textiles, footwear, and material production in those communities.
Monthly rise of 2.1 percent
In the month-to-month comparison from March to April and after adjusting the series, industrial production climbed 2.1 percent, marking the largest monthly rise since November 2021 when a 2.2 percent increase was observed. This surge signals a notable short-term rebound in manufacturing activity across most sectors.
Contributing to the recovery were stronger outputs in intermediate goods and durable consumer goods, which rose 6.8 percent and 4.3 percent respectively. Capital goods moved up by 2.9 percent, while energy and non-durable consumer goods increased by 1.9 percent and 1.8 percent. The month-to-month shift demonstrates a broad-based improvement across categories, albeit with variations in pace from one sector to another.
Activity lines showing higher monthly gains in the seasonally adjusted series included leather and footwear, which led with a 21.4 percent increase, followed by clothing at 19.3 percent and electrical materials and equipment at 17.1 percent. On the flip side, the largest monthly declines were in pharmaceutical product production at 6.9 percent, computer products at 5.9 percent, and tobacco manufacturing at 3.4 percent. These movements illustrate the volatility of specific industries within the broader industrial landscape and the impact of product mix changes on overall output.