Ljubljana - Industrial output in Slovenia contracted by 6.2% in 2020 in what was the first annual drop after six successive years of growth. Turnover in industry was down by 7.8%, the Statistics Office said on Wednesday.

In electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industrial output was down by 9.6%, in manufacturing by 6.0% and in mining and quarrying by 3%.

The turnover was down by 8.1% in the non-domestic market and down by 6.6% in the domestic market. A drop in turnover was recorded in all three main industrial groupings, with the largest recorded in capital goods industries (by 11.6%) and in intermediate goods industries (by 9.7%).

In December, industrial output was 0.7% lower than in November. In mining and quarrying it decreased by 4.8%, in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 3.1% and in manufacturing by 0.2%.

Year on year, the output in December was 0.9% lower. It decreased in capital goods industries and in consumer goods industries (by 5.7% and 3.7%, respectively), while it increased in intermediate goods industries (by 3.4%).

The total turnover in industry in December remained level on the month before. It was higher in the non-domestic market (by 0.4%) and lower in the domestic market (by 2.5%).

In annual comparison, the turnover in December was up by 0.1%, increasing by 2.4% in the non-domestic market and decreasing by 6.7% in the domestic market.

Turnover at the annual level grew in intermediate goods industries (by 4%) while it fell in the other two main industrial groupings: in capital goods industries by 4.2% and in consumer goods industries by 1.1%.

In December, the total value of stocks in industrial production remained level on the month before and was 0.9% lower than in December 2019. In 2020, the value of stocks was 1.5% higher than in 2019.