Industrial Output Climbs 1.8% in December

Output of Hungary's industrial sector rose 1.8% year-on-year in December, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) confirmed in a second reading of data. Output fell 1.0% when adjusted for the number of workdays.

The detailed data show output of the automotive industry, Hungary's biggest manufacturing sector, climbed 1.0%. The segment accounted for 21% of manufacturing output during the month.

Output of the computer, electronics and optical equipment segment, accounting for 14% of manufacturing, jumped 38.0%, boosted by production of computers and peripherals.

Output of the electrical equipment segment, which made up 8.9% of manufacturing output, increased 12.5%.

Output of the food, drinks and tobacco segment, generating 15% of the sector's output, rose 6.5%.

In a month-on-month comparison, output grew a seasonally- and workday-adjusted 0.9%.

For the full year, output dropped 3.2%.

Export sales volume, which accounted for 64% of total sales, declined 2.5% and domestic sales fell 4.6%.

Order stock of manufacturing sector branches that KSH tracks was up 19% at the end of December from twelve months earlier. New order volume rose 28% as new domestic orders climbed 15% and new export orders were up 29%.