Key facts
- German industrial orders fell 0.8% in August month-on-month.
- Analysts had forecast a 1.0% decline.
- New orders excluding large-scale orders dropped 3.3%.
- The automotive industry saw a 6.4% decrease in new orders.
- Turnover in manufacturing fell 0.8% month-on-month in August.
German industrial orders experienced a more significant decline than anticipated in August, falling by 0.8% compared to the previous month on a seasonally and calendar adjusted basis, according to provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
Analysts had forecast a 1.0% decrease. When large-scale orders were excluded, new orders were down 3.3% from July. The less volatile three-month comparison showed new orders in the period from June to August were 2.3% lower than in the preceding three months.
The automotive industry was a key contributor to the downturn, with new orders falling by 6.4% month-on-month. Declines were also seen in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products (-11.5%) and the pharmaceutical industry (-13.5%). Conversely, increases in fabricated metal products, other transport equipment, and electrical equipment provided some positive offset.
New orders for capital goods decreased by 1.5% in August, while consumer goods orders dropped by 10.3%. Intermediate goods orders, however, saw a 3.0% increase.
Foreign orders declined by 4.1%, with orders from the euro area down 2.9% and those from outside the euro area down 5.0%. Domestic orders rose by 4.7%.
Real turnover in manufacturing also decreased, falling by 0.8% month-on-month in August and was 1.1% lower compared to August 2024.