KSH: industrial production decreased by 0.2 percent in October

Production expanded in most of the manufacturing sub-sectors, most notably in the production of computers, electronics and optical products.

Based on seasonally and working day adjusted data, industrial output exceeded September 2024 by 2.0 percent.

Compared to the October data reported in the first estimate, the data in the second estimate did not change, the report noted.

The volume of industrial exports was 4.0 percent higher than a year earlier. The export of vehicles, which represents 33 percent of manufacturing export sales, decreased by 1.3 percent, while the production of computers, electronics and optical products, which accounts for 15 percent, expanded by 20 percent.

Domestic sales of industry were 2.1 percent lower, and those of manufacturing were 3.0 percent lower than in the same month of the previous year.

The production of the manufacturing industry, which represents the dominant (96 percent) weight within industry, decreased by 0.6 percent, while the output of the mining industry, which has a small weight, increased by 30 percent, and that of the energy industry (electricity, gas, steam supply, air conditioning) by 5.6 percent.

The Central Statistical Office detailed: the volume of vehicle production, which has the largest weight and represents 26 percent of manufacturing industry production, fell by 3.9 percent from a year earlier. The production of road vehicles fell by 12.0 percent, and the production of road vehicle components increased by 3.3 percent.

The production of computers, electronics, and optical products, which accounts for 11 percent of manufacturing industry production, increased by the largest amount among the sub-sectors, by 16.3 percent. In terms of the two largest sub-sectors, the production of electronic components and circuit boards decreased by 6.8 percent, while the production of computers and peripheral units increased by 84 percent.

The production of electrical equipment, which has a manufacturing weight of 9.4 percent, fell by 16.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. Of the two most significant sub-sectors, the volume of production of batteries and dry cells decreased by 31 percent, and that of electric motors, generators, distributors and regulators decreased by 5.1 percent.

The production of food, beverages and tobacco products, which accounts for 13 percent of the manufacturing industry, increased by 2.7 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, thanks to the expansion of both domestic and foreign sales.

The production of meat processing, preservation and meat products, which represents the largest (23 percent) weight, increased by 10.9 percent compared to October of the previous year. Seven sub-sectors also saw output increase by between 3.7 and 26 percent, most strongly in tobacco production and least strongly in feed production. In the other three sub-sectors, output decreased by between 5.8 and 18.1 percent, most significantly in vegetable and animal oil production.