ROME (dpa-AFX) - Italy's industrial production fell to the steepest rate in three months in March, data from the statistical office ISTAT showed on Friday.
Industrial production fell 1.4 percent year-on-year in March, after a 0.9 percent rise in February. Economists had expected a 0.8 percent fall in production.
The latest decline in production was the worst since last December, when it fell 5.7 percent.
The biggest decline was in energy, by 5.9 percent. Production in intermediate goods and consumer goods fell by 1.9 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively.
On a monthly basis, industrial production fell 0.9 percent in March, reversing a 0.8 percent rise in the previous month. Economists had expected a 0.8 percent decline in production.
Separate data from the statistical office ISTAT showed that the retail sales fell 0.3 percent month-on-month in March, after a 0.1 percent rise in the prior month. Economists had expected sales to remain unchanged.
On a year-on-year basis, retail sales declined 3.3 percent in March, after a 0.9 percent rise in February.
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