Belgium: Industrial output expands in April

In April, industrial output grew 0.4% from a month earlier in seasonally-adjusted terms, easing from March’s revised 2.1% monthly expansion (previously reported: +1.9% month-on-month). April’s gains were driven by the extractive and utility sectors, while the manufacturing sector was broadly stable from a month earlier.

In annual terms, industrial output rose 7.0% in April, contrasting March’s revised 0.3% contraction (previously reported: -0.4% year-on-year). Meanwhile, annual average industrial output grew 3.2%, up from 2.3% in March.

Beginning in March, the industrial production index was rebased using 2015 as its reference year (previously: 2010), explaining any variation from earlier releases.

Belgium Industrial Production Forecast

FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists expect industrial output to expand 3.7% in 2018, which is up 0.2 percentage points from last month’s forecast. For 2019, the panel sees industrial production growth moderating to 2.9%.