Industrial Activity Indicator Fell 0.9% in March 2025

Mexico's Industrial Activity Indicator declined by 0.9% in March 2025, following a 2.2% increase in February, with the manufacturing sector, mining, and oil and gas leading the downturn. In contrast, the construction industry emerged as the best performer, posting a 0.8% rise, driven by a strong 1.5% growth in building construction.

According to the INEGI, the manufacturing sector reported a 1.1% decrease in the third month of the year, following a 2.3% increase the previous month. Of the 21 activities within this industrial division, 16 reported a decline in the reference period. Among these, the printing and related industries saw the most significant drop, down 6.5%, followed by contractions in the production of metal products at 5.5%, the wood industry at 4.7%, and the paper industry at 4.5%.

On the other hand, sectors that showed growth included machinery and equipment manufacturing, which rose by 1.5%, followed by “other manufacturing" at 1.2%, and textile inputs and textile finishing at 0.5%.

Mining production decreased by 2.7% in March. By component, oil and gas extraction also fell by 2.7%, while the production of metallic and non-metallic minerals dropped by 4.3%. However, services related to the sector saw an increase of 0.4%.

The generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, as well as water and gas supply through pipelines to end consumers, saw a 1.1% decrease in March, marking a fourth consecutive month of decline.

The construction industry, however, was the only major industrial division to achieve a positive result, with a 0.8% increase in March. Within it, building construction grew by 1.5%, and specialized works rose by 1.3%, while engineering works decreased by 2.8%.

On an annual basis, industrial production reported a 1.3% decrease in the third month of the year. By economic activity sector, mining dropped by 10.1%, manufacturing fell by 1.0%, electricity generation, transmission, water supply, and gas distribution decreased by 3.4%, while construction saw a 2.1% increase.