Paris: Industrial production in France, Europe’s second biggest economy, fell again in December, data showed Wednesday, a day after powerhouse Germany reported a surprise drop in output.

France’s industrial output dipped by 1.6 percent in December after also slipping 0.9 percent the previous month, the national statistics agency INSEE said.  

In December it was weighed down by the transport equipment, agriculture and food industry sectors. Manufacturing output also fell by 0.8 percent, after increasing by 0.6 percent in November, INSEE said in a statement.

Unusually mild weather hit electricity and gas production, while output in the auto sector decreased 3.7 percent, it added.

Figures released Tuesday cast a shadow over the outlook for Germany, showing a surprise drop in industrial production in December, as well as a decline in exports.

According to data compiled by the economy ministry, German industrial output fell by 1.2 percent in December, disappointing analysts’ expectations for a modest increase.

Factory output—a key yardstick for gauging the health of Europe’s biggest economy—had already declined fractionally by 0.1 percent in November.

Meanwhile Italian industrial production also fell moderately in December, with a month-on-month 0.7-percent contraction, its national statistics institute, Istat reported.