Slovakia Industrial Output Rebounds in January

Industrial production in Slovakia fell 0.9% year-on-year in March 2026, improving from a 2.9% drop in February. The easing in the pace of decline was partly driven by a smaller drag from key industries, even as weakness persisted in core manufacturing sectors. The manufacture of transport equipment remained the main negative contributor, falling nearly 6% for a second consecutive month. Refined petroleum products also continued to weigh on output, plunging almost 46% year-on-year, though the broader industrial downturn was less severe than in prior months. This was partially offset by stronger performance in smaller sectors, including a 12% increase in food production and nearly 6% growth in electricity and gas supply. Overall, 7 of 15 monitored industrial sectors still recorded declines, but their combined impact was less pronounced than in February. On a seasonally adjusted basis, industrial production rose 0.7%.

Industrial production in Slovakia dropped by 2.9% year-on-year in February 2026, a steeper decline than the expected 0.6% drop, reversing a 2.5% increase in the previous month. The downturn was broad-based, with 9 out of 15 monitored industrial sectors posting annual declines. The largest drag came from the manufacture of transport equipment, which fell by 7.3% after a 3.9% gain in January. Additional downward pressure came from the manufacture of basic metals (-5.0% vs 2.3%) and refined petroleum products (-26.6% vs 11.0%). The overall decline was partly offset by gains in the manufacture of chemicals (+13.8%) and other manufacturing (+11.1%), while food production also rose by around 6.0%. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial output increased by 0.3%.

Industrial production in Slovakia rose 2.7% year-on-year in January 2026, rebounding from an 8.5% drop in December. This marked the first growth in four months and the strongest performance since last March, with 11 of the 15 monitored industrial sectors recording annual growth. Notably, there was a sharp recovery in electricity and gas supply (16.5% vs -25.8% in December). Manufacturing activity also rebounded 0.9% after a 4.6% decline, supported by higher output of refined petroleum products (11% vs -7.6%) and basic metals and fabricated metal products (2.3% vs -13.1%). Production of transport equipment also recovered (4.7% vs -2.8%), with car manufacturing exceeding its output from the previous year after three months of decline. Meanwhile, output in mining and quarrying fell 11.5%, the same rate as in December. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial output declined 1.2%.