As a whole compared with a year earlier industrial production is down around 20%

Seasonally adjusted industrial production fell by 1.9% in the 27 European Union member states in March this year compared with a month earlier.

The trend continues the sharp decline seen since March last year (see graph).

Since March last year industrial production in Europe has declined by about 20%.

The estimates were released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.

In March 2009 compared with March 2008, industrial production fell in all Member States where data was available. The largest decreases were registered in Estonia (-29.7%), Luxembourg (-29.6%), Spain (-24.7%) and Italy (-23.8%), and the smallest in Greece (-5.8%), Portugal (-7.9%) and Poland (-10.0 %).