Monday, April 6 2026 12:36
Karina Melikyan

Economic activity growth in Armenia accelerated amid growing  industrial sector and foreign trade

Economic activity growth in Armenia accelerated amid growing  industrial sector and foreign trade

ArmInfo.  In Armenia, economic activity growth accelerated to 7.4% per annum in January-February 2026 (from 4.1% in the same period of 2025). Moreover, the industrial  sector once again became one of the growth drivers, compared to a  double-digit decline the previous year. 

According to the final data from the RA Statistics Committee, this  was accompanied by an improvement in foreign trade, with a  significant decline returning to moderate growth. According to  statistics, the acceleration of economic activity in January-February  2026 was largely due to an improvement in the annual growth rate of  the industrial sector, from a 19.4% decline to 17.2% growth, and an  even faster acceleration in the construction sector, from 12.2% to  20.5%. At the same time, annual growth in the energy sector slowed,  from 8.8% to 7.5%, while annual growth in trade continued to slow,  from 7.8% to 3.3%, and in services, from 12.4% to 7.2%. The  agricultural sector's performance is not included in this statistical  report.

According to statistics for January-February 2026, the trade sector  retains the lead in absolute terms, with a volume of 892.2 billion  drams ($2.4 billion). The service sector ranks second in terms of  volume at 630.3 billion drams ($1.7 billion), followed by the  industrial sector at 491.5 billion drams ($1.3 billion), and the  construction sector at 53.95 billion drams ($142.4 million), due to  the lack of data from the agricultural sector. Electricity generation  in January-February 2026 amounted to 1,921 million kWh, of which  835.3 million kWh was generated in February alone. Meanwhile, in  February 2026, compared to February 2025, economic activity also  accelerated, growing by 7.2% (from 1.5% a year earlier), and in  February alone, growth accelerated from a 48.3% decline to 4.5%  (compared to a 5.3% decline in February 2025).  Moreover, the  industrial sector's growth improved in February 2026, rising from a  56.7% decline to 12.2% growth, compared to a decline recorded in the  same month a year earlier, from 41.3% to 0.6%. In addition to the  industrial sector, February also saw growth in trade and  construction, while a slowdown in the services sector and a decline  in electricity generation were observed.

On an annual basis (February 2026 to February 2025), all sectors  demonstrated an upward trend, except for the energy sector, which  experienced a decline (3.7%). Specifically, the industrial and  construction sectors demonstrated the highest annual growth rates -  23.8% and 21.8%, respectively, followed by the services and trade  sectors - 7% and 5.6%, respectively. A year earlier, in February 2025  to February 2024, almost all sectors, except for the industrial  sector, which experienced a decline (26.6%), demonstrated growth:   construction - by 12.7%, services - by 12.1%, energy - by 7.3%, and  trade - by 6%.

Against this backdrop, Armenia's foreign trade turnover in  January-February 2026 amounted to 1.2 trillion.  AMD ($3.1 billion),  an increase of 9.3% year-on-year (versus a 52% decline a year ago).  This is due to the growth of both exports and imports, up 12.6% and  7.3% year-on-year, respectively (compared to declines of 59.7% and  45.8% a year ago). As a result, the absolute value of exports  amounted to AMD 442.5 billion ($1.2 billion), and imports to AMD  717.6 billion ($1.9 billion). In February 2026, compared to February  2025, foreign trade turnover increased by 30.8%, driven by a 37.6%  increase in exports and a 26.9% increase in imports. A year earlier,  in February 2025, compared to February 2024, foreign trade turnover  fell by 61% due to a significant decline in exports by 67.7% and  imports by 55.2%.

It should be noted that, starting in 2023, the methodology for  calculating electricity generation volumes in statistical reports has  changed; in particular, the volume of electricity generated by  autonomous generators has now been included. For the agricultural  sector, data is published only in quarterly and annual statistical  reports. (The average dram exchange rate in January-February 2025 was  378.76 drams per US dollar.)