UK Industrial Production Falls in March 2025

(MENAFN) UK industrial production decreased by 0.7 percent month-over-month in March 2025, a sharper drop than anticipated, as per the latest official data released on Thursday.

This downturn followed an upwardly adjusted increase of 1.7 percent in February, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Market analysts had predicted a smaller decline of 0.6 percent for March.

The contraction in production was mainly due to reductions in manufacturing, which fell by 0.8 percent, mining and quarrying, which dropped by 1.2 percent, and the electricity and gas sector, which saw a 0.7 percent decline.

The ONS noted that "the increase in manufacturing output during Quarter 1 2025 saw rises in 10 of its 13 subsectors."

It further stated that "the largest of the seven negative contributions to manufacturing output in March 2025 came from similar-sized decreases in 'computer, electronic and optical products' (down 8.4%) and 'basic pharmaceutical products' (down 5.8%); this is mainly a fallback, following strength from both subsectors during February 2025, when they increased by 9.8% and 4.4%, respectively."

In the first quarter of 2025, total production output grew by 1.1 percent compared to the previous quarter.

Year-on-year, industrial output fell by 0.7 percent in March, a slightly smaller contraction than the 0.9 percent decline predicted by the market.

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