Published on: 13 June 2018

Industrial production increased by 7.8%

In April 2018 the volume of industrial output grew by 7.8% year-on-year. Based on working-day adjusted data, the production rose by 2.9%. Compared to raw data, the significant difference is due to the fact that there were two more working days in April 2018 than a year ago.

In April 2018:

The volume of industrial production increased by 7.8% year-on-year. (Compared to the April data published in the first estimate, there is no change in the data of the second estimate.)

Industrial output – according to the seasonally and working-day adjusted index – was above the previous month’s level by 0.2%.

The volume of industrial export grew by 8.6% year on year. Within export sales in manufacturing, the export of transport equipment representing 36% rose by 7.6%; in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products, accounting for 14% of manufacturing export, volume increased by 4.6%.

Industrial domestic sales grew by 5.9%, within this, the domestic sales of manufacturing were 11.3% higher compared to the same month of the previous year.

Within industry, production went up by 8.1% in manufacturing – representing a decisive weight (96%) while it rose by 47% in the small weight representing mining and quarrying. The output of energy industry (electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply) fell by 6.1%, primarily as a result of a milder weather compared with the previous year (according to the Hungarian Meteorological Service the April 2018 average temperature was 5.2 (C higher than the April 2017 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
2016101.4101.4101.8101.375.1
2017104.9104.4103.5104.774.6
2018January108.3108.7116.6106.375.1
February103.8103.8113.8100.874.8
March97.097.0103.195.074.3
April108.1108.9111.3108.073.5
From the beginning of 2018104.0104.2110.8102.274.4

Production declined only in two of the thirteen subsections of manufacturing, to which the low base effect of the previous year contributed as well.

The production of transport equipment representing 29% of manufacturing output increased year-on-year by 7.5%. The manufacture of parts and accessories for motor vehicles rose above the average by 14.1%, whereas the manufacture of motor vehicles went up slightly, by 1.3%.

The manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products accounting for 11% of manufacturing grew by 3.6%. Out of the two dominant groups the manufacture of communication equipment increased surpassingly, by 45%, while the manufacture of consumer electronics dropped by 6.2%.

The manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products giving approximately 10% of manufacturing rose by 6.7% compared to the previous year’s same month. Out of the groups, the largest one: processing and preserving meat and the production of meat products (representing 26% of the subsection) went up by 11%, while the manufacture of tobacco products having the smallest weight grew the most by 13.9%. Decreases were recorded only in two groups: in the manufacture of dairy products (1.9%), and in that of bakery and farinaceous products (1.7%).

Compared to March 2018 the rate of growth increased in the medium-weight representing subsections. In April the manufacture of rubber and plastics products, and other non-metallic mineral products grew by 21%, the manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products rose by 13.0% year-on-year.

The manufacture of chemicals and chemical products performed above the manufacturing average, too: the production was 10.9% higher in April, mostly owing to the manufacture of plastics in primary forms which represents more than a two-third weight.

The decline continued in manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c accounting for 6.0% of the manufacturing: output dropped in April by 1.8% year-on-year, mainly due to a significant fall in the manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines having the largest weight.

Changes in production in the major subsections of manufacturing, April 2018

(%)

Subsections Volume indices of production, corresponding period of previous year = 100.0 Share of subsection within manufacturing at current prices
code denomination
CAManufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products106.79.8
CGManufacture of rubber and plastics products, and other non-metallic mineral products120.58.9
CHManufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment113.08.6
CIManufacture of computer, electronic and optical products103.611.4
CKManufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.98.26.0
CLManufacture of transport equipment107.529.3

By a 3.7% increase in the number of employees, the labour productivity of industrial enterprises with 5 or more employees was 3.7% higher in April than in the same month of the previous year.

Industrial output rose in every region of Hungary, the most by 12% in Southern Transdanubia and the least, by 4.2% in the Southern Great Plain.

Total new orders volume in the observed subsections of manufacturing grew by 8.3% compared to the April 2017 data. New domestic orders volume rose by 4.6%, while new export orders went up by 8.9%. The volume of total stock of orders was below the level of April 2017 by 7.1%.

In January–April 2018, compared to the same period of the previous year:

Industrial production increased by 3.8%. The volume of export sales representing 64% of all sales went up by 1.9%, while that of domestic sales accounting for 36% of all sales rose by 5.9%.

Labour productivity of industrial enterprises with 5 or more employees practically stagnated, there was a 3.7% increase in the number of employees.

Industrial production grew year-on-year in every region. The largest volume growth (8.5%), was measured in Southern Transdanubia, we measured in the other regions volume increases between 1.2% and 7.9%.