Thursday, March 25 2021 15:19

ArmInfo. In Armenia, economic activity in January-February 2021 against January-February 2020 decreased by 6.7%, in February 2021 against February 2020 - by 5.3%,  and only in February increased by 12.4%, against last year's growth  in January -February by 8.7% per annum, the same growth in February  2020 to February 2019, and February growth by 9.2%.

According to the preliminary data of the Statistical Committee of the Republic of  Armenia, the annual decline (in January-February) was provoked by all  sectors, except for the construction sector.

According to statistics, in January-February, the services and trade  sectors showed the greatest annual decline - 12.5% ??and 11.3%,  followed by industry - 7.9% and the energy complex - 5.8%, and only  the construction sector was able to hold on in growth, but with a  strong deceleration to 1%. The data for the agricultural sector has  not been published. A year earlier (January-February 2020 to  January-February 2019), all spheres showed growth: the energy complex  - 23.1%, the industrial sector - 15.3%, the service sector - 11.2%,  the trade sector - 6.3%, the construction sector - 5.8%.

On an annualized basis (February 2021 to February 2020), the largest  decline was observed in the energy complex and the service sector -  13.7% and 12.2%, respectively, while a year earlier, these areas  recorded an increase of 27.9% and 10.4%. ... A more modest decline  was recorded in trade and the industrial sector - 7.8% and 5.1%,  respectively, against last year's positive 2.8% and 16.5%. And only  the construction sector managed to maintain growth, slowing down from  4.3% to 1.1%.

In February 2021, the only deterioration in dynamics from growth to  decline was observed in the energy complex - from 1.3% growth to  14.5% decline. At the same time, the rest of the spheres, on the  contrary, improved their dynamics with the exit from recession to  growth. Thus, the construction sector (28.4%), the trade sector  (19.7%) and the industrial sector (15.3%) showed the greatest growth  in February, while the service sector showed a modest 4.3%, against  86.3%, respectively. , 46.7%, 42.9% and 19.8%.

The industrial product price index increased in January-February 2021  by 6.2% per annum, with an increase in February by 0.5% and an annual  growth of 7% (February 2021 to February 2020). A year earlier, in  January-February 2020, an increase in the industrial product price  index was recorded by 0.7% per annum, with a decline in February by  0.9%, and a decline in comparison with February 2019 by 0.5%.  In  January-February 2021, the absolute leadership is held by the trade  sector with a volume of 412.5 billion drams ($ 789.6 million). The  second place is taken by the industrial sector with a volume of 295.2  billion ($ 565.1 million), the third - the service sector - 258.9  billion drams ($ 495.5 million), and the fourth, due to the lack of  data from the agricultural sector traditionally occupying this  position, is occupied by the construction sector with a volume of  28.8 billion drams ($ 55.1 million). The volume of electricity  generation was in January-February 2021 at 1376.8 million kWh, of  which 634.4 million were in February.

At the same time, Armenia's foreign trade turnover in  January-February 2021 amounted to 483.3 billion drams ($ 925.5  million) with an annual decline of 12.2%. In its structure, the  volume of exports underwent an annual decline by 5.5% to 185.1  billion drams ($ 354.4 million), with a more noticeable decline in  imports - by 15.8% to 298.2 billion drams ($ 571.1 million). In  February 2021 alone, foreign trade turnover grew by 24.9% due to  improved dynamics of imports and exports - with an increase of 26.9%  and 21.8%, respectively. In February 2021, compared with February  2020, the decline in foreign trade turnover by 9.5% was provoked by a  decline in imports by 13.6% and exports by 2%. 

A year earlier, in January-February 2020, foreign trade turnover  underwent an annual growth of 2.4% due to an increase in exports  of 8.8% with a decline in imports by 0.8%, only in February 2020, an increase in exports and imports by 7.6% and 19.9%, respectively, led to an increase in foreign trade turnover by 15.4%, and compared  to February 2019, a  decline in imports by 3.2% and exports by 1.3%  provoked a decrease in foreign trade turnover by 2.5%. 

The average calculated AMD exchange rate in January-February 2021 was 522.37 AMD / $ 1, and in February 2021 - 523.54 AMD / $ 1, against  478.98 AMD / $ 1 in January-February 2020 and 478.74 AMD / $ 1  in February 2020