Feb 7 Reuters German industrial production fell more than expected in December, the federal statistics office said on Wednesday, marking the seventh monthly decline in a row and highlighting weakness in the backbone of Europe39;s largest economy.

Industrial production fell in December by 1.6 compared with the previous month. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a 0.4 fall.

The seventh consecutive monthly fall in German industrial output in December confirms that industry remains a significant drag on growth, Capital Economics39; senior Europe economist Franziska Palmas said.

High energy costs and weak domestic and external demand will cause German industrial output to decline further in 2024, Palmas said.

In energyintensive industries, production fell by 5.8 in December on the month, the office said.

There were particularly strong declines in the important chemical industry, with production falling by 7.6 on the month, and in construction, with a 3.4 decline. Production also fell in many other sectors, albeit less sharply, the statistics office said.

However, the 4.0 increase in production in the automotive industry had a positive effect on the overall result.

The sharp drop in both exports and imports, as well as today39;s industrial production, not only illustrates the weakness of the German economy39;s backbone but also increases the risk of a downward revision of fourthquarter GDP growth, said Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING.

Gross…