Result released this Friday (6th March) advances compared to December and interrupts the sequence of falls in the annual comparison
Brazil’s industrial production increased 1.8% in January 2026 compared to December, in the seasonally adjusted series. This is the biggest monthly expansion since June 2024 (4.4%). In comparison with January 2025, growth was 0.2%, which interrupted 3 consecutive months of negative results.
The result was released by the (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) this Friday (6th March 2026). The data indicates a slight recovery in industrial activity at the beginning of the year. Even so, the quarterly moving average fell 0.1%, which maintains the downward trajectory that began in October 2025. Here is (PDF – 1 MB).
With the monthly increase, industrial production was 1.8% above the pre-pandemic level, recorded in February 2020. The sector still remains 15.3% below the historical record, reached in May 2011.
January’s growth was spread across sectors. 19 of the 25 sectors surveyed showed expansion from December to January. The 4 major economic categories also recorded a positive result.
Among the activities, the biggest influences came from:
- chemicalsup 6.2%;
- motor vehiclestrailers and bodies, with an increase of 6.3%;
- coke, petroleum derivatives and biofuelswith growth of 2.0%.
The sectors of extractive industries (1.2%), metallurgy (4.1%), electrical machines, apparatus and materials (6.5%), beverages (4.1%), metal products (2.3%) and computer, electronic and optical equipment (3.3%) also contributed to the positive result.
On the other hand, some activities recorded a drop in production. The main negative impact came from machinery and equipment (-6.7%), which marked the 2nd consecutive decline and accumulated a loss of 11.8% in the period. The food products (-0.8%) and cellulose, paper and paper products (-1.9%) sectors also had a negative result.
Among the major economic categories, the positive highlight was the durable consumer goods segment, which grew 6.3% in January and recovered part of the drop recorded at the end of 2025.
They also expanded:
- capital goodsup 2.0%;
- intermediate goodswith an increase of 1.7%;
- semi- and non-durable consumer goodswith growth of 1.2%.
Compared to January 2025, industrial production grew 0.2%. The result had a positive influence from extractive industries (11.9%), pharmochemical and pharmaceutical products (20.7%) and food products (2.0%).
On the other hand, there was a decline in 17 of the 25 industrial sectors on this basis of comparison. The biggest negative influences came from machinery and equipment (-15.4%), motor vehicles (-7.7%) and chemical products (-2.9%).
In the last 12 months, industrial production registered growth of 0.5%.
