Wednesday, March 25 2026 13:13
Karina Melikyan

Economic activity growth up in Armenia

Economic activity growth up in Armenia

ArmInfo. In Armenia, economic activity growth accelerated to 7.4% annually in January-February 2026 (from 4.1% in the same period of 2025). Moreover, the industrial sector once again became one of the growth drivers, compared to a double-digit decline the year before.  According to preliminary data  from the RA Statistics Committee, this was accompanied by an  improvement in foreign trade, with a significant decline returning to  moderate growth.

According to statistics, the acceleration in economic activity growth  in January-February 2026 was largely due to an improvement in the  annual dynamics of the industrial sector, from a 19.4% decline to  17.2% growth, and an even faster acceleration in the construction  sector, from 12.2% to 20.5%. Annual growth in the energy sector also  accelerated, from 6.9% to 7.1%. Meanwhile, annual growth in trade  continued to slow, from 7.8% to 3.3%. This was also observed in  services, from 12.4% to 7.2%. Agricultural sector dynamics are not  included in this statistical report.

According to statistical data for January-February 2026, the trade  sector holds the lead in absolute value with a volume of 892.2  billion drams ($2.4 billion). Second place by volume goes to the  services sector with 630.3 billion drams ($1.7 billion), third to the  industrial sector with 491.5 billion drams ($1.3 billion), and  fourth, due to the lack of agricultural sector data, goes to the  construction sector with 53.95 billion drams ($142.4 million).  Electricity generation in January-February 2026 amounted to 1,823.9  million kWh, of which 785.4 million kWh in February alone.

At the same time, economic activity also accelerated in February 2026  compared to February 2025, growing by 7.2% (from 1.5% a year  earlier), and in February alone, growth accelerated from a 48.3%  decline to 4.5% (compared to a 5.3% decline in February 2025).  Moreover, industrial sector growth improved in February 2026, rising  from a 56.7% decline to 12.2% growth, compared to a decline of 41.3%  to 0.6% a year earlier. In February, in addition to the industrial  sector, growth was also observed in the trade and construction  sectors, while a slowdown in the decline in the service sector and a  decline in electricity generation volumes were observed.

On an annual basis (February 2026 to February 2025), all sectors  demonstrated an upward trend, with the exception of the energy  sector, which experienced a decline (4.7%). Specifically, the  industrial and construction sectors demonstrated the highest annual  growth rates - 23.8% and 21.8%, respectively, followed by the  services and trade sectors - 7% and 5.6%, respectively. A year  earlier, in February 2025 to February 2024, almost all sectors, with  the exception of the industrial sector, which experienced a decline  (26.6%), demonstrated growth: construction - by 12.7%, services - by  12.1%, trade - by 6%, and energy - by 5.8%.

Against this backdrop, Armenia's foreign trade turnover in  January-February 2026 amounted to 1.2 trillion.  AMD ($3.1 billion),  an increase of 9.3% year-on-year (versus a 52% decline a year ago).  This is due to the growth of both exports and imports, which  increased by 12.6% and 7.3% year-on-year, respectively (compared to  declines of 59.7% and 45.8% a year ago). As a result, the absolute  value of exports amounted to AMD 442.5 billion ($1.2 billion), and  imports amounted to AMD 717.6 billion ($1.9 billion). In February  2026, compared to February 2025, foreign trade turnover increased by  30.8%, driven by a 37.6% increase in exports and a 26.9% increase in  imports. A year earlier, in February 2025, compared to February 2024,  foreign trade turnover fell by 61% due to a significant decline in  exports by 67.7% and imports by 55.2%.

Starting in 2023, the methodology for calculating electricity  generation volumes in statistical reports has changed; in particular,  the volume of electricity generated by autonomous generators has now  been included. For the agricultural sector, data is published only in  quarterly and annual statistical reports. (The average dram exchange  rate in January-February 2025 was 378.76 drams per US dollar.)