Norway and Italy Report Industrial Production Declines in May

Industrial production in both Norway and Italy contracted in May, according to government data released in July 2026. The downturns mark a reversal of growth patterns observed in previous months for both European economies.

Statistics Norway reported a seasonally adjusted 1.0 percent month-over-month contraction in May, erasing a 0.6 percent increase from April. This decline was led by a 2.6 percent drop in extraction and related services and a 0.5 percent decrease in mining and quarrying, though manufacturing production grew by 0.7 percent. Annual growth slowed to 0.5 percent from the 1.2 percent recorded in April.

Similarly, the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT) reported a 0.3 percent seasonally adjusted decrease in industrial production for May, ending a three-month streak of quarterly increases. The decline spanned most industrial groups except for the energy sector. On a year-on-year basis, Italy saw a 1.1 percent rise, supported by growth in transportation equipment manufacturing and capital goods, despite a 3.2 percent decline in consumer goods.