Manufacturing production was 10 percent higher in March 2017 compared to the same month of the previous year. Production growth was broad-based—production surpassed the volume of March 2016 in more than two-thirds of the branches of industry.

The growth in production was mostly due to an increase in the manufacture of wood products, metal products, and electrical equipment. Production increased also in the manufacture of food products, motor vehicles, and building materials. Among the branches of industry with larger overall share, production fell only in the manufacture of electronic products.

In March, 69 percent of the total production of manufacturing was sold to the external market. According to unadjusted data, the sales of manufacturing production volumes to external markets increased by 11 percent, and sales to the domestic market increased by 12 percent compared to March 2016.

Compared to the previous month, in March the seasonally adjusted total industrial production increased by 2 percent, production in manufacturing increased by 1 percent.

Compared to March 2016, the production of electricity increased by 54 percent, and the production of heat by 1 percent.