Milan, 12 May (LaPresse) – Istat estimates that the seasonally adjusted industrial production index rose by 0.7% in March 2026 compared with February. On average for the first quarter, production fell by 0.2% compared with the previous three months. The seasonally adjusted index rose month-on-month for capital goods (+2.1%) and intermediate goods (+0.3%); whilst declines were observed for consumer goods (-0.4%) and energy (-1.2%). Adjusted for calendar effects, in March 2026 the overall index rose by 1.5% year-on-year (there were 22 working days in the calendar month, compared with 21 in March 2025). Capital goods grew significantly (+5.8%) and intermediate goods to a lesser extent (+0.5%); negative changes were observed, however, for consumer goods (-1.9%) and energy (-3.1%). The sectors of economic activity recording the highest year-on-year increases are the manufacture of transport equipment (+11.2%), mining and quarrying (+6.7%) and the manufacture of computers, electronic and optical products (+6.1%). The sharpest declines were recorded in the manufacture of chemical products (-7.8%), the supply of electricity, gas, steam and air (-4.0%) and other manufacturing industries, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (-2.4%). Istat comments: “In March, industrial production grew for the second consecutive month on a month-on-month basis, driven by the positive trend in capital goods; conversely, consumer goods have been showing cyclical declines for four months. Overall for the first quarter, despite the recovery in February and March, there was a slight decline in the general index compared with the previous quarter. In March, on a year-on-year basis, the calendar-adjusted index rose, with a slight acceleration compared with the previous month; here too, the increase in the overall index was driven mainly by capital goods".