The year-on-year falls in June were, however, less pronounced than those seen in the previous three months, when the European economy suffered the economic effects of the pandemic caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

In comparison with May, industrial production increased 9.1 percent both in the euro area and in the EU, a slowdown compared to the 12.3 percent and 11.6 percent growth registered in May and which reversed the monthly drops in March and April due confinement imposed in the context of combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

Compared to June 2019, Portugal recorded the greatest decrease (-14.8 percent), followed by Germany and Spain (-14.1 percent each), and Italy (-13.7 percent), with only one increase in Ireland of 4.5 percent.

In the monthly variation, Slovakia (21.7 percent), Hungary (17.1 percent) and Romania (16.3 percent) registered the largest increases, while Belgium (-1.4 percent) and Finland (- 0.8 percent) presented the only decreases.

In Portugal, industrial production increased 11.3 percent from May to June.