In the three months to October 2017, the Index of Production was estimated to have increased by 1.2% compared with the three months to July 2017, due mainly to a rise of 1.2% in manufacturing.

The largest contribution to the rise in manufacturing in the three months to October 2017 came from transport equipment, which rose by 2.5% followed by other manufacturing and repair, which rose by 2.8%.

In October 2017, total production was estimated to have remained flat at 0.0% compared with September 2017; energy supply provided the largest downward contribution, decreasing by 3.3%, mainly because of unseasonably warm temperatures in October 2017, whilst the other three main sectors provided upward contributions, of which mining and quarrying was the largest.