Industrial production in France inched up 0.1% month-on-month in April 2026, confounding market expectations of a 0.2% decline but marking a clear slowdown from the upwardly revised 1.4% increase recorded in March. Manufacturing output grew by 0.4%, down from 1.3% in the previous month. Within manufacturing, agri-food production was flat after a 1.1% rise in March, while output of electrical, electronic and computer equipment, as well as machinery, slowed to 0.4% from 1.2%. Growth in other industrial products also cooled, easing to 0.1% from 1.1%.
By contrast, some sectors registered stronger gains. Production of coke and refined petroleum products rose 6.6%, slightly above March’s 6.5% increase, and transport equipment output accelerated to 3.3% from 2.2%. Overall industrial activity, however, was held back by a contraction in extractive industries, energy and water, where output fell 0.9% following a 1.6% gain in March. This weakness was particularly evident in electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply, which declined 1.1% after rising 1.8% a month earlier.
On an annual basis, industrial production growth strengthened, accelerating to 2.8% in April from a revised 1.3% in March.
