Manufacturing output on the rise, UNIDO report

The world manufacturing output has grown by 6.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period last year, which indicates a recovery from the recent financial crisis, says a UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) report released.

The report, based on the analysis of the quarterly production data, states that developing countries were in the lead with their manufacturing production increasing by 11.5 per cent. The major contribution to this growth was by China with its output growing by 15 per cent.

Newly industrialized countries also performed well, with Turkey displaying a growth of 13.8 per cent, while Mexico’s was estimated at 7.4 per cent and India’s at 5.1 per cent.

The manufacturing output of industrialized countries rose by 4.4 per cent during the named period, with a strong growth of 7.1 per cent observed in the United States, the world’s largest manufacturer.

Major European economies, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, also demonstrated significant growth in manufacturing output. But other European countries, like Greece, witnessed a 6.9 per cent drop, while Portugal and Spain maintained a marginal growth of less than one per cent.

Japan’s figures fell by 2.4 per cent. The full impact of the March Tsunami disaster was not yet reflected in the manufacturing production data for the first quarter.

Negative growth was observed in North Africa, where the manufacturing output of Egypt and Tunisia fell by 8.9 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively.

The UNIDO report also contains the growth estimates for the first quarter by major manufacturing sectors. It suggests that production of general machinery has increased by more than 15 per cent, electrical machinery and apparatus by 12 per cent, and medical and precision equipment by 11 per cent.

Industrialized countries performed well in high-tech sectors however, their growth in traditional manufacturing such as food and beverages, textile and wearing apparel was quite low. Developing countries maintained higher growth across all sectors.

UNIDO Statistics will from now publish quarterly production growth estimates of world manufacturing output. So far such data came out only on annual basis in conjunction with the release of the UNIDO’s International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics.

UNIDO maintains international industrial statistical database as per the mandate of the United Nations Statistics Commission.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition, and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.