France's industrial production decreased at a faster rate than expected by economists in March, latest data showed Tuesday.
Industrial production decreased 2.5 percent on an annual basis in March, statistical office Insee said. The rate of fall was notably faster than 1.4 percent economists had forecast. In February, output had fallen by 2.9 percent.
Month-on-month, industrial output decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent in March, after gaining 0.8 percent in the previous month. Economists were looking for a 0.3 percent contraction.
Production in the manufacturing sector decreased 1 percent sequentially in March, reversing the previous month's 0.8 percent growth. Economists were looking for a 0.5 percent fall.
In the first quarter overall industrial production decreased 3.2 percent from a year earlier, while manufacturing production dropped by 4.2 percent.
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