Malta Industrial Output Falls for Third Month

Malta’s industrial production fell by 6% year-on-year in December 2025, moderating from a downwardly revised 7.8% drop that marked a near four-year low in the previous month. The slowdown was mainly driven by higher output in the manufacturing sector (-7% vs -9%), particularly in the production of rubber, plastic, and other non-metallic mineral products (+20.6%), chemical and pharmaceutical products (+8.5%), and food products and beverages (+1.4%). Across main industrial groupings, gains were recorded in energy production (8.7% vs 3.7%), while activity rebounded in capital goods (4.4% vs -7.1%). Production also declined at a slower pace for intermediate goods (-8.8% versus -11.8%). On the other hand, activity fell further in consumer non-durable goods (-6.9% versus -2.8%), consumer goods (-6.9% versus -1.2%), and consumer durable goods (-5.6% versus 5.6%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial activity grew by 4.2% in December, recovering from a 0.1% fall in November.