The industrial production in Japan grew less than initially estimated at the close of the year, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. On a monthly basis, there was a 1.4% increase in industrial production, compared to a reduction of 0.9% in the preceding month. The initial estimate projected a 1.8% rebound.
Moreover, the most recent growth rate was the fastest, reaching back to June 2023, when it had climbed by 2.4%. The data revealed that shipments increased by 2.2% from the previous month, while both inventory and inventory ratio saw declines of 1.2% and 2.9% respectively.
In contrast, there was a 1% decrease in industrial production in December on a year-on-year basis, progressing from a 1.4% drop in the preceding month. The flash estimate had predicted a lesser decline of 0.7%. The capacity utilization remained constant for two consecutive months in December.
