France's industrial production saw a sharper-than-anticipated decline in December, following a modest upturn in November, according to data released by the statistical office, INSEE, on Wednesday.
Industrial output fell by 0.4 percent in December after a 0.1 percent rise the previous month. This decrease outpaced economists' predictions of a 0.1 percent decline.
Within the broader industrial sector, manufacturing output decreased by 0.7 percent from November, mainly due to a significant 5.4 percent drop in the production of transport equipment. In contrast, the manufacture of food products and beverages experienced a robust growth of 2.8 percent.
Furthermore, construction output showed a 1.3 percent increase, while mining and quarrying output rose by 1.8 percent over the same period.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, total industrial production decreased by 0.6 percent from the previous quarter and fell by 1.2 percent compared to the same period the previous year.