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The world manufacturing output grew by 6.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2011, compared with the same period of the previous year.
This indicated the ongoing recovery of world industrial production from the recent financial crisis, according to a report released by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
The developing countries, led by China, with a growth rate of 11.5 per cent, outperformed the industrialised countries which logged a growth rate of 4.4 per cent. While the manufacturing output of China grew by 15 per cent, India recorded a growth rate of 5.1 per cent, Mexico 7.4 per cent and Turkey 13.8 per cent.
Among the industrialised countries, the US posted a growth rate of 7.1 per cent. Major European economies like France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom also showed robust growth, even as the output in Greece fell by 6.9 per cent and Portugal and Spain recording only marginal growth of less than one per cent.
Tsunami impact
In the case of Japan, the full impact of the tsunami that hit the country in the first of week of March was not reflected in the data obtained by UNIDO. Yet, its manufacturing output fell by 2.4 per cent, which contributed to lower growth rate among the East Asian Industrialised countries in general.
The industrialised countries performed well in a number of high-technology industries, especially in office and computing machinery, electrical machinery and medical and optical precision equipment. However, their growth rates were low in traditional low-technology sectors such as food and beverages and textiles, while the production of wearing apparels fell by nearly five per cent.
On the other hand, the developing countries outpaced industrialised countries in all sectors, except in office and computing machinery industries. The difference in growth rates was significant not only in traditional low-technology and resource-based sectors like food and beverages, textiles, wearing apparels and petroleum products, but also in high-technology manufacturing areas.
The developing countries performed particularly well in the production of motor vehicles and other transport equipment, radio, television, communication equipment and chemical industry, says the report.
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