Index of industrial production, March 2012

Industries like wood and wood products and basic metals had a 5.7 per cent and 4.2 per cent growth in production. Fabricated metal products and machinery and equipment have seen a further increase in production in this period. This can be partly related to the investments made in the Norwegian petroleum sector (see Investment statistics, 1st quarter 2012 ). Food products have also had a 3.1 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2012 compared with the last quarter of 2011, according to seasonally-adjusted figures. This was partly due to an increase in production in processing and preserving of fish and fish products. On the contrary, production in paper and paper products and basic chemicals has dropped by 12.5 per cent and 6.0 per cent in the same period. The downturn in basic chemicals can partly be explained by the further decline in the solar-cell industry.

From March 2011 to March 2012

Production in manufacturing decreased by 0.8 per cent from March 2011 to March 2012, according to working-day adjusted figures. Paper and paper products and basic chemicals have had a significant drop in the production, while industries like machinery and equipment and ships, boats and oil platforms have had a strong growth. Foods products have also seen an increase in production since March 2011.

From February to March 2012

The output in manufacturing went down by 0.5 per cent from February to March 2012, according to seasonally-adjusted figures. There was a decline in industries like paper and paper products and basic chemicals. Food products, basic metals as well as ships, boats and oil platforms have seen a growth in production.

Norway and the euro area

There was a 0.7 per cent increase in Norwegian manufacturing output from February 2011 to February 2012, according to working-day adjusted figures. Industrial production in the euro area decreased by 2.6 per cent in the same period, according to figures published by Eurostat .