Finnish Industrial Output Slows to 4-Month Low

Industrial production in Finland grew by 0.6% year-on-year in May 2026, slowing from an upwardly revised 3.0% in the previous month and marking the softest pace of growth since a contraction in January. Production growth eased in the manufacturing sector (0.7% vs 2.3%), reflecting weaker output in food products (2.6% vs 7.2%), the chemical industry (-7.8% vs 5.0%), and printing and reproduction of recorded media (-12.0% vs -5.6%). At the same time, output in mining and quarrying posted a steeper decline (-10.7% vs -5.0%), while electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply slipped into negative territory (-0.1% vs 8.9%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial output fell 1.4% in May, easing slightly from a 1.9% drop in the previous month, which marked the sharpest monthly decline in nine months.

Industrial production in Finland grew by 1.9% year-on-year in April 2026, easing from a downwardly revised eleven-month high of 7.1% in the previous month. Production growth slowed in the manufacturing sector (1.1% vs 5.7%), driven by lower output in the manufacture of beverages (-10.6% vs 13.3%), paper and paper products (-4.0% vs 4.5%), basic metals (-4.5% vs 8.9%), and machinery and equipment n.e.c. (-0.3% vs 3.2%), along with softer growth in wood and wood products (0.3% vs 5.5%), the chemical industry (5.5% vs 20.7%), other non-metallic mineral products (6.7% vs 10.6%), and fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment (1.2% vs 6.3%). Electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply also moderated (8.6% vs 15.5%), while output in mining and quarrying contracted (-4.5% vs 12.9%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial output fell 2.6% in April, marking the steepest decline since March 2024 and reversing a 2.8% gain in the preceding period.

Industrial production in Finland climbed 7.3% year-on-year in March 2026 from 5.3% in the previous month and marking the strongest growth since June 2022. Manufacturing output continued to accelerate, rising 5.9% after a 5.3% gain in February, driven by stronger increases in chemicals (20.9% vs 9.2%), fabricated metal products (5.9% vs 0.4%), and food products (4.7% vs 3.5%), alongside a rebound in paper and paper products (4.5% vs -8.8%). Additionally, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply growth quickened to 15.7% from 7.9%, while the mining and quarrying sector rebounded 12.8% after an 11.1% decline. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial output eased to 2.8% in March from 3.2% in the previous period.