Singapore factory output rises 16.6% in January, led by electronics sector

Singapore's manufacturing production began 2026 with a bang, notching its fifth straight month of expansion in January, led by the key electronics sector.

- Annabelle Liang Correspondent

The growth in Singapore's total factory output in January beat analysts' forecast. It was "turbocharged" by the electronics sector, which expanded at its fastest pace since August 2024, said DBS Bank senior economist Chua Han Teng.

(ST FILE PHOTO)

Total factory output rose by 16.6 per cent from the previous year, picking up from the growth of 10.9 per cent recorded in December 2025, according to data released by the Economic Development Board (EDB) on Feb 26.

The growth topped the 12.1 per cent increase expected by analysts in a Bloomberg poll.

Excluding the volatile biomedical manufacturing sector, manufacturing output rose 24.1 per cent.

The electronics sector, which accounts for more than a third of the Republic's manufacturing output, saw production surge 44 per cent year on year.

This was led by other electronic modules and components, which saw growth of 53.3 per cent over the period. Semiconductors grew by 52 per cent, with the segment supported by strong artificial intelligence-related demand, according to EDB.

Infocomms and consumer electronics expanded 5.2 per cent, while computer peripherals and data storage contracted 6.3 per cent.