BRUSSELS: Euro zone industrial production fell less than expected in April, and March numbers have been revised upwards, data from the EU statistics office showed on Wednesday. Data from the European Union's statistics office Eurostat showed industrial production in the 17 countries sharing the euro fell 0.8 percent month-on-month in April for a 2.3 percent year-on-year fall. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 1 percent monthly drop and a 2.7 percent annual decline. Eurostat also revised upwards its data for March, saying the decline in the monthly production was 0.1 percent, rather than 0.3 percent, and the year-on-year fall was only 1.5 percent, rather than the previously reported 2.2 percent. Industrial production is a key component of gross domestic product. The euro zone economy shrank 0.3 percent quarter-on-quarter in the last three months of 2011 and was unchanged in the January-March period, although economists expect it will contract again in the second quarter.

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