2020.05.2910:27:00UTC+00Estonia Industrial Production, Retail Sales Fall

Estonia's industrial production and retail sales decreased sharply April as demand remained weak amid the coronavirus, or Covid-19, pandemic, data from Statistics Estonia showed on Friday.

Industrial production declined a working-day adjusted 16.9 percent year-on-year in April, following a 6.5 percent fall in March.

Helle Bunder, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said, "the coronavirus-related emergency situation had a significant impact on industrial production in April."

Manufacturing output decreased 15.0 percent annually in April.

Among the other sub sectors, production in energy and mining declined 35.1 percent and 37.1 percent, respectively.

On a monthly basis, industrial production fell a seasonally and working-day adjusted 8.4 percent in April.

Separate data from the statistical office showed that the retail sales declined 15.0 percent annually in April.

"The main reason for the turnover decline in April was the fact that shopping centres were closed for the whole month because of the emergency situation," Jaanika Tiigiste, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said.

On a monthly basis, retail sales rose a seasonally and working-day adjusted 8.0 percent in April.