BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A strong rise in output of consumer goods kept euro zone industrial production rising in October despite a deep fall in energy production, the European Union's statistics office data showed on Friday.
Eurostat said industrial production in the 18 countries sharing the euro rose only 0.1 percent month-on-month in October for a 0.7 percent year-on-year gain. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.2 percent monthly increase and a 0.6 percent annual rise.
Eurostat also revised down its production data for September to 0.5 percent month-on-month from 0.6 percent and to 0.2 percent year-on-year from the previously reported 0.6 percent.
Energy output fell 1.9 percent month-on-month and 2.5 percent year-on-year.
This offset much of the 1.8 percent monthly rise in non-durable consumer goods and the 0.9 percent increase in the output of durable consumer goods. Year-on-year non-durable consumer goods rose 3.7 percent and durable goods 0.2 percent.
Ireland recorded the biggest monthly increase in production of 9 percent and a whopping 38.8 percent surge year-on-year.
(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski)