According to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday, real manufacturing production in Germany rose by 0.4 percent in April 2026 compared to March after seasonal and calendar adjustments. However, when viewed over a less volatile three-month period (February to April), production fell by 0.5 percent compared to the preceding three months.
Reviewing earlier preliminary results, production in March 2026 actually shrank by 0.1 percent compared to February 2026. Compared to the same month last year (April 2025), production in April 2026 was 0.5 percent lower after calendar adjustments.
The positive performance observed in April 2026 was driven by growth in the construction sector, which rose by 2.4 percent compared to the previous month (seasonally and calendar adjusted). The chemical industry also contributed positively, increasing by 2.1 percent, alongside a 1.6 percent increase in the manufacture of metal products. Conversely, the decline in the automotive industry, which fell by 4.7 percent, negatively affected the overall figures.
Across the board, overall industrial production remained unchanged (0.0 percent) in April 2026 compared to March 2026 after seasonal and calendar adjustments. This stability was balanced by a 1.4 percent rise in the production of intermediate goods and a 1.9 percent rise in consumer goods, offsetting a 1.5 percent decrease in the production of capital goods. Outside of manufacturing, power generation saw a modest increase of 0.2 percent. Looking back one year, industrial production fell by 2.1 percent compared to April 2025 (calendar adjusted).
Focusing on energy-intensive industries, production grew by 1.0 percent in April 2026 compared to March 2026, seasonally and calendar adjusted. Over the three-month period spanning February to April 2026, production in these energy-intensive sectors was 2.6 percent higher than in the corresponding three months of the previous year. Furthermore, energy-intensive production rose by 0.9 percent compared to April 2025 (calendar adjusted).
