The IIP in January fell by 4.4% compared to December 2023 but soared by 18.3% over the same period last year.
Manufacturing continued to be the main driver of the economy, expanding by 19.3% and contributing 15.1 percentage points to the overall IIP increase.
Another positive sign is that the number of employees working for industrial enterprises as of January 1, 2024, rose by 0.5% over the previous month and 0.1% over the same period last year.
In addition, the country witnessed the establishment of 13,500 enterprises in January, up 2.2% against the previous month and up 24.8% against the corresponding period last year. About 13,800 enterprises resumed operation in January, 2.2 times higher than December but down 8.4% from the same period in 2023.
However, a total of 53,900 enterprises withdrew from the market in January, an increase of 22.8% over the same period in 2023.
Tourism was a highlight of the economy as the country welcomed over 1.5 million international visitors in the first month of 2024, up 10.3% compared to the previous month and up 73.6% over the same period last year.
