ISTANBUL

The UK's industrial production dropped in January, hitting its lowest level since May 2020, according to data released Friday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The index fell 0.9% month-on-month, reversing December’s 0.5% increase, with manufacturing output down 1.1% and mining and quarrying down 3.3%, ONS said.

"The monthly decrease in manufacturing output was driven by declines in nine of 13 subsectors, particularly in basic metals and metal products (-3.3%), other manufacturing and repair (-3.3%), and pharmaceuticals (-3.1%)," it added.

For the three months to January 2025, industrial production fell 0.9% compared to the previous three-month period, marking the ninth consecutive quarterly decline.