Despite the year-end slowdown, Italian packaging production confirmed its strong performance in 2021. In December, the total index recorded an increase of 1.0% compared to the same period the previous year. More specifically, all segments experienced growth with the exception of metal packaging production (-8.0%). Activity of the packaging sector in December felt the effects of supply chain problems and the increase in the cost of raw materials.
On an annual basis, production increased by 5.0% in contrast to 2020. The increase allowed not only the recovery of losses caused by the pandemic, but also a return to the path of growth prior to the crisis. Compared to 2019, production in 2021 increased by 3.2%. i.e., an average of 1.6% over two years; a percentage not so different from the average growth of 5-6 years earlier. Italian packaging production is the result of the average of the dynamics of the various segments. In 2021, growth was led especially by the paper/cardboard and wood packaging segments (respectively +7.6% and 7.2% over 2020), while at the extreme opposite was metal packaging (+0.6%).
Within the international context, 2021 packaging production in the European Union 27 increased by 4.5% compared to 2020. Also at the international level there was indication of a slowdown in the dynamic in December (+1.6%). All the main economies recovered their production levels pre-crisis of 2019, with the exception of France (-1.3% compared to 2019). Once again, France notes a delay with respect to the European cycle: the recovery arrived later, but in December 2021 it still saw strong production growth (+4.7% compared to the same month the previous year).
