SOFIA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's Industrial Production Index (IPI) in December 2018 decreased by 3.8 percent year on year, and by 2.3 percent compared with November, the country's National Statistical Institute (NSI) said Friday.
Preliminary NSI data showed that on an annual basis, December's IPI saw a 4.4-percent decline in the manufacturing sector, and a 3.6-percent decrease in the industries of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, while in the mining and quarrying industry, the production remained the same level of December 2017.
In the manufacturing sector, the more considerable year-on-year decreases were registered in fabricated metal products, said the NSI, adding that machinery and equipment declined by 25.5 percent, wearing apparel by 15.4 percent, leather and related products by 15.0 percent, and motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers by 14.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the production index for tobacco products increased by 33.8 percent, other transport equipment up by 22.0 percent, rubber and plastic products up by 12.6 percent, and basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations up by 10.2 percent, the NSI said.
On a monthly basis, the production index for the manufacturing sector in December 2018 was down by 2.7 percent, while that for the mining and quarrying industries up by 1.2 percent, and the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning industries up by 0.9 percent.
