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The Economist
Trends
- 1EU Industrial Production Index Edges Down in Second Quarter●Eurostat EI_ISIND_Q Update: EU Industry Index at 100.4 in Q1 2026, 100.2 in Q2 - News and Statistics
Eurostat's industrial production index for the EU, indicator EI_ISIND_Q, registered 100.4 in the first quarter of 2026 and eased to 100.2 in the second quarter. The figures suggest euro area industrial output held broadly steady near its reference level, with a marginal slowdown at the start of the year's second half. Analysts are watching the series for signs of whether the bloc's manufacturing sector is stabilising after recent weakness, as the data feed into assessments of EU economic growth and monetary policy expectations.
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The Economist argues that falling student test scores around the world amount to a slow-moving catastrophe, with learning losses that could depress economic growth and widen inequality for decades. The leader column is drawing wide attention, with readers debating causes ranging from pandemic school closures to smartphones and changing teaching methods, and what governments should do to reverse the decline.