By Xavier Fontdegloria
Italy's industrial production fell in December for the second consecutive month, according to data released Tuesday by the country's statistics office, Istat.
The industrial production index decreased by 0.2% in seasonally adjusted terms from the prior month, compared with the 1.4% monthly decline registered in November.
The reading missed expectations of economists polled by FactSet, who had predicted industrial output would increase by 0.2%.
On an annual basis, Italy's total industrial production fell by 2% in December in calendar-adjusted terms.
As for 2020 overall, Italy's industrial production plunged by 11.4%, the second-worst reading since the beginning of the historical series in 1990 after the fall recorded in 2009, Istat said.
Write to Xavier Fontdegloria at xavier.fontdegloria@wsj.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-09-21 0451ET
