A worker wears a protective mask at the Volkswagen assembly line after VW re-starts Europe's largest car factory after coronavirus shutdown in Wolfsburg, Germany, April 27, 2020, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues. [Photo/Agencies]

Figures show biggest decline in output since records first kept in January 1991

Germany's industrial production in April suffered its sharpest fall since records began, despite the country having one of the most effective novel coronavirus lockdown systems.

A fall in productivity of 8.9 percent in March was followed by another of 17.9 percent in April, 25.3 percent down on the same period 12 months earlier, making for the largest decline since records were first kept in January, 1991.

"Two months of COVID-19 have already left a more adverse impact than the entire financial crisis," said Carsten Brzeski, chief economist of euro zone at Dutch bank ING.

Germany's all-important auto industry has particularly hard-hit, with a month-on-month decline of 74.6 percent, although dealerships were allowed to reopen and car production was allowed to restart at the end of April.

Other measures have continued to be lifted on a gradual basis, with a relaxation of travel bans expected later this month.