Published on: 14 May 2019

Industrial production increased by 8.0%

In March 2019, the volume of industrial output grew by 8.0% year-on-year. The working day adjusted index was equal to the non-adjusted one.

In March 2019:

The volume of industrial production rose by 8.0% year-on-year. (Compared to the March data of the first estimate, the data in the second estimate did not change.)

Industrial output – according to the seasonally and working-day adjusted index – was above the previous month’s level by 1.0%.

The volume of industrial export grew by 7.7% year-on-year. Within export sales in manufacturing, the 37% representing transport equipment export went up by 11.3%, while in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products accounting for 16% weight, the volume rose by 11.1%.

Industrial domestic sales increased by 2.4%, within it, domestic sales in manufacturing were 8.5% higher compared to the same month of the previous year.

Within industry, production grew by 7.8% in the decisive weight (96%) representing manufacturing, and it went up by 68% in the small weight representing mining and quarrying. The output of energy industry (electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply) declined by 5.7%, mainly as a result of milder weather compared with the previous year (according to the Hungarian Meteorological Service the March 2019 average temperature was 5.1 (C higher than the March 2018 average).

Changes in the production and sales of manufacturing

(%)

Period Production Total Domestic Export Share of export in sales at current prices
sales
Volume index, corresponding period of previous year = 100.0
2017104.6104.0102.9104.474.7
2018103.7103.4110.6100.972.6
2019January103.6106.3107.9105.874.7
February106.5107.4107.4107.474.4
March107.8108.1108.5107.973.6
From the beginning of the year106.0107.3107.9107.174.2

The manufacture of transport equipment representing 30% of manufacturing output grew by 12.8% year-on-year. The manufacture of motor vehicles went up by 18%, while the manufacture of parts and accessories for motor vehicles rose by 6,9%.

The manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products accounting for 12% of manufacturing increased by 7.8%. Out of the two most significant groups the manufacture of communication equipment rose by 11.3%, the manufacture of consumer electronics went up by 19.2%.

The manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products providing almost 10% of manufacturing grew by 4.7% compared to the same month of the previous year. Out of the groups, the processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs giving very little weight increased the most, by 75%. The processing and preserving meat and the production of meat products representing the largest weight (25%) dropped by 1.2%, mainly owing to a decline in domestic sales. Above this decreases were recorded in two groups: in manufacture of other food products (5.7%), and in that of the smallest weight carrying manufacture of tobacco products (6.7%).

The manufacture of electrical equipment representing small weight grew at the highest rate among the subsections, by 28% year-on-year, increases were measured in almost every class.

Production growth continued in the medium-weight representing subsections: the manufacture of rubber and plastics products, and other non-metallic mineral products went up by 7.8%, whilst the manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products rose by 2.4% year-on-year.

After a decline lasting for four months the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations grew by 19.8% year-on-year, due to a favourable tendency in export sales.

The manufacture of textiles, wearing apparel, leather and related representing the smallest weight fell the most by 8.5%, sales dropped in both sales directions.

Changes in production in the major subsections of manufacturing, March 2019

(%)

Subsections Volume indices of production, corresponding period of the previous year = 100.0 Share of subsection within manufacturing at current prices
code denomination
CAManufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products104.79.7
CGManufacture of rubber and plastics products, and other non-metallic mineral products107.88.7
CHManufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment102.48.1
CIManufacture of computer, electronic and optical products107.811.8
CKManufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.99.35.8
CLManufacture of transport equipment112.830.3

Out of the regions, industrial output declined only in one, in the Southern Great Plain (by 1.1%). In the other regions, volume increases of 2.9% to 12.8% were recorded, the highest growth was observed in Budapest region.

Total new orders volume in the observed subsections of manufacturing rose by 15.2% compared to the March 2018 data. New domestic orders volume increased by 5.1%, new export orders went up by 17%. The volume of total stock of orders was above the level of the previous year by 10.6% at the end of March.

In January–March 2019, compared to the same period of the previous year:

Industrial production rose by 6.2%. The volume of export sales representing 63% of all sales went up by 7.4%, that of domestic sales accounting for 37% of all sales grew by 5.1%.

Industrial production rose in every region. The largest volume growth was measured in Budapest region (10.8%), while the lowest in the Southern Great Plain (0.7%).