Azernews.Az

Romania has emerged as one of the European Union’s countries experiencing the sharpest declines in industrial production, AzerNEWS reports.

According to data released by Eurostat, industrial output in January 2026 fell both across the eurozone and the wider EU compared with the previous month.

Specifically, industrial production dropped 1.5% in the Eurozone and 1.6% across the EU. The largest decreases were recorded in Ireland (-9.8%), Luxembourg (-4.3%), Sweden (-4.1%), and Romania (-3.3%).

Data from Romania’s National Institute of Statistics indicates that the country’s industrial slowdown was primarily driven by contractions in manufacturing and the extractive industries. In January, manufacturing output fell 6.4%, while production in the extraction sector declined 2%. Conversely, the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and hot water saw modest growth.

On a month-to-month basis, Romania’s industrial production also fell in January compared with December 2025, with total industrial output dropping 7.3%.

Analysts note that the recent weakening of the industrial sector across several European countries reflects global economic uncertainty and rising production costs, signaling a challenging environment for the EU’s manufacturing base.