Brazil's industrial production rose 2.3 percent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period last year, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said on Tuesday.

Compared to the fourth quarter of 2010, the industrial production was up 1.3 percent.

IBGE said that Brazil's industrial output increased 0.5 percent in March 2011 compared to February, but fell 2.1 percent compared to March 2010. It was the first contraction in the industrial output since Oct. 2009.

In the April 2010 to March 2011 period, the industrial production rose 6.8 percent from the previous 12-month period.

Accordint to IBGE, in the first three months of the year, all categories of use registered a production increase. The production of capital goods was up 8.4 percent, while the production of intermediate goods rose 1.6 percent. The production of durable and non-durable consumer goods was up five and 0.3 percent, respectively.

IBGE added that the industrial production rose in 18 out of the 27 segments included in the survey. The motor vehicle production represented the highest positive pressure, having grown 10 percent in the period.

Other sectors which registered a production rise were machines and equipment (4.5 percent); other transportation equipment (13.3 percent); oil refinement (4.5 percent); and medical supplies (23.2 percent).

Among the sectors whose production fell are chemical products (5.3 percent), textiles (10.4 percent), and edition and printing (4.8 percent).