ROME, ITALY / RankWire.AI / – Italy’s industrial production fell 0.3% in May from April, ending three straight monthly gains. Istat reported the seasonally adjusted decline on July 10, 2026, in its latest monthly output release. The result followed increases of 0.1% in February, 0.7% in March and 0.5% in April. Despite the May setback, average production from March through May rose 0.9% from the previous three-month period. The release compared May 2026 output with the prior month and May 2025.
Energy was the only major industrial grouping to post monthly growth, with output rising 4.6%. Capital goods production slipped 0.1%, while consumer goods fell 0.5%. Intermediate goods recorded the largest monthly drop among the main groups, declining 0.8%. May’s weakness therefore extended across most broad production categories. The main groupings classify output according to the economic use of the goods produced. The monthly pattern left energy alone in positive territory.
The three-month measure compares average output from March through May with the December through February average. It rose 0.9%, even though production declined during the final month of that period. March recorded the strongest monthly increase in the recent sequence, followed by April and February. The May decline halted the positive run without erasing the broader three-month gain. The index tracks changes in industrial output across Italy’s main production sectors.
Annual industrial output remains higher
On a calendar-adjusted basis, Italy’s industrial output rose 1.1% from May 2025. May 2026 had 20 working days, compared with 21 in the same month last year. The unadjusted production index fell 1.9% over the same annual period. Calendar adjustment provides a comparable reading when the number of working days differs between years. This distinction explains why the adjusted and unadjusted annual figures moved in opposite directions.
Capital goods led the annual performance among broad industrial groups, with production up 5.0%. Energy output increased 1.9%, while intermediate goods rose 0.8%. Consumer goods moved in the opposite direction, falling 3.2% from May 2025. Every main grouping except consumer goods recorded year-over-year growth after calendar effects were removed. The yearly breakdown showed broader gains than the monthly figures, when only energy increased.
Transport equipment leads sector gains
Transport equipment posted the largest annual increase among detailed industries, with output climbing 11.6%. Pharmaceutical production rose 3.5%, and chemical manufacturing increased 3.3%. Textiles, clothing, leather and accessories recorded the steepest decline, falling 6.6%. Other manufacturing, repair and machinery installation dropped 3.8%. Electrical equipment and non-electric household appliance production fell 2.6%. These detailed sector figures also use calendar-adjusted comparisons with May 2025.
The industrial figures accompanied other official indicators for May and early 2026. Istat reported separately that industrial producer prices fell 0.2% in May from April. They remained 7.3% higher than a year earlier. Italy’s economy expanded 0.3% in the first quarter from the previous three months. The annualized growth rate for 2026 stood at 0.6% after that result. The next industrial production update, covering June, is scheduled for August 6.