The industrial production index, seasonally adjusted, picked up by 1.2% in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021 compared to Q3, but in absolute terms it contracted by 2.1% compared to the same period of 2020, Romania’s statistics office announced.

Furthermore, compared to the same period of 2019 - before the crisis - the industrial output dropped by 2.7%.

The decline is steeper when it comes to the core manufacturing industries, where the output contracted by 4.0% YoY and 4.8% compared to the last quarter of 2019.

For the whole 2021 year, the industrial output increased by 7.1% compared to the pandemic year 2020 (YoY), but it still lags by 2.8% compared to 2019.

The lag is slightly wider (-3.9%) when it comes to the manufacturing industries.

The mining and quarrying sector contracted by 2.3% YoY and 12% compared to 2019.

The sector of utilities, on the upside, thrived with an 11.3% annual advance, while compared to 2019 the volume of activity of utility companies rose by 11.3%.

(Photo: Pexels)

iulian@romania-insider.com