Industrial output grew by 2.4 per cent in April from March

According to Statistics Finland, seasonally adjusted industrial output was 2.4 per cent higher in April than in March. In March, industrial output grew by 2.6 per cent from February. Seasonally adjusted output has grown in three consecutive months.

Seasonally adjusted change in the volume of whole industrial output from
the previous month, %

Output grew by 6.8 per cent in April from the year before

Compared to last year's April, seasonally adjusted industrial output grew by 6.8 per cent. The last year-on-year growth in industrial output was recorded in March 2001. The high growth figures of this April are, in fact, partly due to the decline in output in the comparison period.

In April, industrial output went up from the year before in several main industries. Increase in output was especially high in the manufacture of electrical products, almost 30 per cent. In the wood and paper industry, output increased up by good 3 per cent from twelve months back. Output in other metal industry also went up by good one per cent. In the chemical industry, output decreased by 1.4 per cent and in other manufacturing by 1.6 per cent.

Manufacture of electrical products largely accounted for the growth of output in April. Exclusive of this industry, industrial output would have gone up by 0.3 per cent compared to last year's April.

Seasonally adjusted change in the volume of industrial output 4/2001-4/2002, %

Capacity utilisation rate in manufacturing was nearly 85 per cent in April, which is good percentage point higher than in April 2001. In the pulp and paper industry, capacity utilisation rate was approximately 92 per cent, in the metal industry over 84 per cent and in the chemical industry in excess of 79 per cent. Capacity utilisation rate in other manufacturing was almost 80 per cent.

Seasonally adjusted change in the volume of whole industrial output from the corresponding time period of the previous year, %

Revised data for April will be published on 28 June 2002 at 8 am in connection with the industrial output data for May. Because of the method used, seasonally adjusted figures for previous months may change even if the original figures did not become revised.

Source: Volume Index of Industrial Output 2002, April. Statistics Finland
StatFin statistical service at: statfin.stat.fi