Industrial production fell by 17.1% in the euro area and by 17.3% in the European Union in April compared to the previous month, amid measures to limit the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), and its most significant decline was registered in Italy, Slovakia, France and Romania, shows data released by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat).

It is the most significant monthly decline since these data was published and far exceeds the 3% to 4% decline from the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, during the financial crisis.

All countries for which data are available reported decreases in industrial production in April compared to the previous month, the most severe decline being in Hungary (minus 30.5%), Romania (minus 27.7%) and Slovakia (minus 26, 7%).

Compared to the same period of 2019, industrial production decreased in April by 28% in the euro area and by 27.2% in the European Union, according to Agerpres.

This is the most significant annual decline since the publication of these data, exceeding the decline of 21.3% in the euro area and 20.7% in the European Union in April 2009. Overall, industrial production in the euro area and the European Union fell at a level last observed in the mid-1990s.