Higher-tech production leads second-quarter factory growth
UNIDO’s manufacturing review shows electronics and transport equipment helping to drive output.
Global manufacturing strengthened in the second quarter of 2026 after a slowdown in growth during 2025, according to the UN Industrial Development Organization. Factory output grew by more than 1 percent from the preceding quarter in every region it tracked except Latin America and the Caribbean.
Production in medium-high- and high-technology industries again outpaced lower-technology sectors. Computers, electronics and some categories of transport equipment have been among the main contributors to factory growth over the past five years.
UNIDO also reported that manufacturing exports increased by 6.1 percent from the first quarter. Higher-technology shipments grew faster than lower-technology exports, with Asia and the Pacific leading the regional export gains.