ArmInfo. The volume of industrial production in Armenia in January-September 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 increased by 9.7% (against growth by 4% a year earlier), amounting to 1.4 trillion drams ($ 2.9 billion).
Acceleration of upward dynamics led to a reversal in the dynamics of the mining sector in the direction of growth and the preservation of a positive trend in the manufacturing sector. According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, in September 2019 alone, industrial production increased by only 0.6%, ensuring a volume of 184.3 billion drams ($ 387 million).
In January-September 2019 by the same period of 2018, an increase of 19.5% was recorded in the mining industry and the development of open pits (against the 12.7% decline a year earlier) - up to 259.7bln drams. In September alone, the mining sector provided the volume of 34 billion drams with a monthly decline of 13.5%, with a y-o-y growth of 70.1%. The volume of manufacturing industry increased in January- September by 9.3% per annum, somewhat slowing down in comparison with the same period in 2018 - up to 978.1 billion drams, of which 128 billion drams fell in September (monthly growth by 7.4%, y-o-y growth by 2.5%).
Moreover, in the manufacturing industry, subsidence in January-September 2019 was recorded only in basic metals (by 2.4%) and in the production of computers, electrical and optical equipment (by 2.6%). A significant increase is recorded in the production of textiles (1.7 times), other non-metallic mineral products (by 47.7%), and finished metal products (by 40.9%).
In the manufacturing sector, food products (334.4 billion drams), cigarettes (136.3 billion), base metals (127.5 billion) and beverages (122.6 billion drams) are traditionally leaders in terms of production volumes.
According to the statistics, the supply of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning as a whole increased in January-September 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 by only 0.8% (against the growth of 4.2% a year earlier) - up to 187.4 billion drams. However, in September, a decline of 10.2% was recorded - up to 20.3 billion drams. Moreover, the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in January- September decreased by 1.6% per annum (with an increase of 5.7% a year earlier), while gas making, distribution of gaseous fuels through gas supply systems increased by 13% (at 8.6% decline in September).
Revenues from water supply, waste treatment and recycling and the receipt of secondary raw materials decreased in January-September by 1.9% per annum (against the 0.4% decline a year earlier) - to 19.2 billion drams, with a decline in September by 5.1 % secured by 2.1 billion drams. Moreover, the decline in this segment was mainly caused by the collection, processing and destruction of waste, the receipt of secondary raw materials (y-o-y decline of 24.7% and a month's growth of 19.5%).
To recall, the volume of industrial production in Armenia in 2018 compared with 2017 increased by 4.3% (against growth by 12.6% a year earlier), amounting to 1.737 trillion drams ($ 3.6 billion). The slowdown in the upward trend was triggered by a 14% decline in the mining sector (against 13.9% a year earlier) and a slowdown in the manufacturing industry - from 15.7% a year earlier to 10% in 2018.
The average calculated exchange rate of AMD to the US dollar in September 2019 was 476.23 dr./$ 1, and in January-September - 481.52 dr./$ 1, against 483.82 dr./$ 1 in September 2018 and 482.21 dr. / $ 1 in January-September 2018.