France's industrial production decreased for the third successive month in September, but to a lesser extent than in the previous month, data released by statistical office Insee showed Friday.

Industrial production decreased 0.9 percent year-on-year in September, in line with economists' forecast. The rate of fall was slower than the 2 percent contraction seen in August.

Industrial production dropped 0.5 percent compared to August, when it recorded a 0.7 percent gain. Expectations were for a 0.1 percent monthly gain.

The agency said that in the September quarter, industrial production dropped 1.4 percent from the preceding three-month period, and logged a similar fall compared to the third quarter of 2012.

In the manufacturing sector, production fell 1.3 percent in August from a year earlier, faster than the 1.1 percent decrease economists had forecast. Sequentially, manufacturing output dropped 0.7 percent in September, following the previous month's 0.9 percent increase. It was expected to grow 0.4 percent.

In the third quarter, manufacturing production dropped 1.1 percent quarter-on-quarter. Annually, factory output fell by 2 percent during the July-September period.