Production in manufacturing industries down by 1.3%, CSO finds
Production in the manufacturing industries are down 1.3% in the first three months in 2026, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
From February to April 2026, manufacturing industry production was 13.2% lower when compared with the same period in 2025.
Turnover had increased by 1.6% when compared to November 2025 to January 2026, although there was an annual decline of 26.4% compared to the same period in 2025.
The CSO also found that the modern sector saw an annual decrease of 14.4% when it came to production, from February 2026 to April 2026.
Gregg Patrick, Statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division said: “Production in manufacturing industries decreased by 1.3% from February 2026 to April 2026 when compared with the previous three-month period (November 2025 to January 2026) on a seasonally adjusted basis.
“On an annual basis, production in this sector was 13.2% lower in the three months from February 2026 to April 2026 when compared with the same period in 2025. The CSO recommends that analysts take a longer-term view of the indices because of the variability that can occur within the given months of a quarter.
“The highly globalised Modern sector, which includes the Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Computer & Electronic sectors, experienced an annual fall of 14.4% in industrial production from February 2026 to April 2026 when compared with the same three-month period in 2025, while annual production in the Traditional sector decreased by 5.8%.
“From February 2026 to April 2026, turnover in manufacturing industries was up by 1.6% when compared with the previous three-month period, while an annual decline of 26.4% was recorded when compared with the same three-month period in 2025.
“These results cover manufacturing activity undertaken on behalf of industrial enterprises with headquarters based in Ireland. It should be noted that they include both manufacturing in Ireland and manufacturing abroad (either by foreign subsidiaries or by foreign subcontractors). The multinational sector in particular is highly globalised, conducting much of its manufacturing activity abroad."