Industry - March 2021

In March, industrial production increased in real terms by 14.9%, year-on-year (y-o-y). In the month-on-month (m-o-m) comparison, it was by 3.2% higher. The value of new orders increased by 23.0%, y-o-y.

“March results showed Czech industry in good shape,” Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department, says. “The year-on-year growth of industrial production by almost 15% is influenced by the previous year's restriction on production due to the onset of the pandemic. What is positive is a month-on-month increase in industrial production, which somehow balanced weaker February results,” he adds.  

Industrial production¹ in March 2021 was in real terms by 3.2% higher, m-o-m. In the year-on-year comparison, it increased by 14.9%. The following economic activities contributed the most to the y-o-y increase of industrial production: manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (contribution +7.4 percentage points (p. p.), growth by 47.0%), manufacture of rubber and plastic products (contribution +1.6 p. p., growth by 22.4%), and manufacture of electrical equipment (contribution +1.3 p. p., increase by 18.1%). Industrial production decreased in the following economic activities: repair and installation of machinery and equipment (contribution −0.2 p. p., decrease by 6.6%), manufacture of wearing apparel (contribution −0.1 p. p., decrease by 18.9%), and manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (contribution −0.1 p. p., decrease by 5.7%).

“High year-on-year increases of production were mainly reported by industries, which were affected by a complete lockdown from half of March 2020 and that are, moreover, very closely interconnected. That is, car production, where production increased by 47%, year-on-year, manufacture of rubber and plastic products with the growth by 22%, and manufacture of electrical equipment. Industrial enterprises are in very good shape, again mainly thanks to the mentioned industries, in terms of newly contracted orders,” Veronika Doležalová, Head of Industrial Statistics Unit, says.

Sales from industrial activity at current prices¹ increased by 16.8%, y-o-y, in March 2021. Direct export sales of industrial enterprises increased at current prices by 22.6%. Domestic sales, which also include indirect export via non-industrial enterprises, increased at current prices by 9.6%. 

The value of new orders¹ in surveyed industrial CZ-NACE activities increased by 23.0%, y-o-y, in March 2021. Non-domestic new orders increased by 30.4%, while domestic new orders increased by 8.8%. The year-on-year increase of new orders in total was contributed to by the following CZ-NACE divisions: manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (contribution +18.2 p. p., increase by 59.2%), manufacture of electrical equipment (contribution +2.7 p. p., growth by 26.2%), and manufacture of machinery and equipment (contribution +2.2 p. p., growth by 21.2%). New orders decreased in manufacture of other transport equipment (contribution −6.0 p. p., decrease by 76.2%), manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (contribution −0.5 p. p., decrease by 21.9%), and manufacture of textiles (contribution −0.02 p. p., decrease by 3.9%).

The average registered number of employees² in industry decreased by 2.8%, y-o-y, in March 2021. Their average gross monthly nominal wage increased by 5.5%, y-o-y, in March 2021.

According to data released by Eurostat, industrial production in the EU27 in February 2021 decreased by 1.1%, y-o-y. Czech industrial production decreased by 2.6%. The biggest year-on-year decrease was reported by Malta, Estonia, and also by Germany, that is 6.0%. Contrarily, production of Irish industry increased by 41.4%, y-o-y. According to a preliminary release calendar, Eurostat will release data for March 2021 on 12 May 2021.

Industry in the first quarter of 2021
Seasonally adjusted industrial production¹ in the Q1 2021 decreased by 1.1% compared to the Q4 2020. In the year-on-year comparison, it increased by 4.1%.

Sales from industrial activity at current prices¹ were higher by 5.5%, y-o-y, in the Q1 2021. Direct export sales of industrial enterprises increased at current prices by 8.5%. Domestic sales, which include also indirect export via non-industrial enterprises, increased at current prices by 1.5%.

The value of new orders¹ in selected industrial CZ-NACE activities increased by 7.9%, y-o-y, in the Q1 2021. Non-domestic new orders increased by 13.8%, whereas domestic new orders decreased by 4.0%.

The average registered number of employees² in industry decreased by 3.2%, y-o-y, in the Q1 2021. Their average gross monthly nominal wage² increased by 2.0%, y-o-y, in the Q1 2021.

Starting with data for January 2021, data on the development of sales from industrial enterprises and new industrial orders are presented in a new way. The same as for industrial production, adjusted data are preferred now. Year-on-year rates are published in a form adjusted for the number of working days. Moreover, month-on-month or quarter-on-quarter indices are seasonally adjusted.

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Notes:

Responsible head at the CZSO: Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department, phone number: (+420) 736 168 543, e-mail: radek.matejka@csu.gov.cz
Contact person: Veronika Doležalová, Head of Industrial Statistics Unit, phone number (+420) 734 352 291, e-mail: veronika.dolezalova@csu.gov.cz
Method of data acquisition: direct survey of the CZSO (Prům 1–12)
End of data collection: 30 April 2021
Related outputs: time series https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/pru_ts
Next News Release will be published on: 7 June 2021