Germany’s manufacturing sector experienced a slight decrease in new orders during May 2025, according to preliminary data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Seasonally and calendar-adjusted, orders fell by 1.4 percent compared to April 2025.
Excluding large orders, the underlying demand in the manufacturing sector saw a more significant decline of 3.1 percent month-on-month. However, when considering the three-month trend from March to May 2025, total orders increased by 2.1 percent, with the exclusion of large orders showing a 1.9 percent rise over the same period.
A revision of preliminary data for April 2025 indicated a 1.6 percent increase in orders compared to March, up from the initial estimate of 0.6 percent. This substantial upward revision for April is attributed to a late reporting period within the automotive industry.
The negative performance in May was primarily driven by a sharp decline in new orders for data processing equipment, electronic and optical products, which saw a seasonally and calendar-adjusted decrease of 17.7 percent compared to the previous month. This sector had experienced a surge in large orders during April.
Further contributing to the overall decline were decreases in orders for electrical equipment (-6.2 percent) and metal production and processing (-5.1 percent). Positive contributions came from increased orders in metal products (+18.2 percent) and other vehicle construction (+6.8 percent).
Across goods categories, orders for capital goods decreased by 0.9 percent in May, while orders for intermediate goods fell by 3.4 percent. In contrast, orders for consumer goods increased by 3.1 percent.
Demand from abroad rose by 2.9 percent, with orders from outside the Eurozone increasing by 9.0 percent, offsetting a 6.5 percent decline in orders from within the Eurozone. Domestic orders, however, experienced a decrease of 7.8 percent.
Real sales in the manufacturing sector were down 1.9 percent month-on-month when seasonally and calendar-adjusted. Compared to May 2024, calendar-adjusted sales were 1.7 percent lower. The revision of preliminary data for April 2025 showed a 1.4 percent decrease in sales compared to March, aligning with the initial estimate of a 1.5 percent decline.
