Italy Industrial Output Falls 1.3 Percent in August
Italy's industrial output unexpectedly fell by 1.3 percent in August, reversing July's gains and underperforming analyst forecasts.
Industrial output in Italy fell by 1.3 percent in August compared to the previous month, according to data released Friday by the national statistics bureau ISTAT. This decline reverses a 0.6 percent increase recorded in July and fell short of analyst expectations, which had predicted a flat reading. On a work day-adjusted year-on-year basis, output remained unchanged.
The contraction was widespread across multiple sectors. Intermediate goods saw the steepest decline at 1.8 percent, followed by consumer goods at 1.2 percent and capital goods at 0.9 percent. Energy was the only sector that did not experience a contraction during this period.
This downturn follows a period of modest growth, with the Italian economy expanding by 0.3 percent in the first quarter and 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2026. Despite this recent dip in industrial production, the Government of Italy recently raised its 2026 GDP growth estimate to 1 percent, an increase from its previous projection of 0.6 percent.
