Press release No. 385 of 5 November 2026
New orders in manufacturing
September 2026 (in real terms, provisional):
+4.4% on the previous month (seasonally and calendar adjusted)
+3.3% on the same month a year earlier (calendar adjusted)
August 2026 (in real terms, revised):
-10.1% on the previous month (seasonally and calendar adjusted)
+3.2% on the same month a year earlier (calendar adjusted)
WIESBADEN – Real (price adjusted) new orders in manufacturing were up 4.4% in September 2026 month on month after seasonal and calendar adjustment, according to provisional figures of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). When large-scale orders are excluded, new orders were 5.1% higher than in the previous month. The less volatile three-month on three-month comparison showed that total new orders were 0.2% higher in the 3rd quarter of 2026 than in the 2nd quarter of 2026; when large-scale orders are excluded, new orders were up 0.1%. After revision of the provisional data, new orders in August 2026 decreased by 10.1% on July 2026 (provisional figure: -10.6%).
The positive development of new orders in manufacturing in September 2026 was primarily attributable to the substantial increase seen in the automotive industry (+10.5% on the previous month, seasonally and calendar adjusted). In this sector, new orders and production were on a low level in the two previous months due, in part, to production changeovers and factory holidays. The growth registered in the manufacture of machinery and equipment (+8.3%) also had a positive impact on the overall result. A large-scale order in the manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines, contributed to this increase. By contrast, new orders were down 10.4% month on month in the manufacture of other transport equipment (aircraft, ships, trains, military vehicles), an area which has, at times, registered particularly high volumes of large-scale orders so far this year.
In the case of capital goods, new orders in September 2026 were up 5.3% month on month, and rose by 0.5% for intermediate goods and 14.4% for consumer goods.
Foreign orders were up 2.8% in September 2026, with orders from the euro area registering an increase of 4.5% and orders from outside the euro area rising by 1.6%. Domestic orders grew by 6.6%.
Turnover in September 2026 up 0.2% on the previous month
According to provisional figures, real turnover in manufacturing (seasonally and calendar adjusted) in September 2026 was up 0.2% on the previous month. Compared with September 2025, the calendar adjusted turnover was 2.0% higher. After revision of the provisional data, there was an increase of 0.1% in August 2026 from July 2026 (provisional figure: 0.0%).
Methodological notes:
The differing comparative periods must be taken into account in all press releases on short-term indicators. Short-term economic monitoring focuses on comparisons of seasonally and calendar adjusted figures with those of the previous month or quarter. These reflect short-term economic trends. Year-on-year comparisons of calendar adjusted results enable long-term comparisons of levels and are not influenced by seasonal fluctuations or calendar effects.
New orders and turnover in manufacturing are recorded and evaluated in accordance with the "Classification of Economic Activities, 2008 edition (WZ 2008)". Information on new orders is only collected in selected branches (only in German) of manufacturing. The rates of change are based on the price adjusted indices of new orders and of turnover in manufacturing. The average figure for 2021 is used as the basis of the index and set to 100 index points (2021=100). The X13 JDemetra+ method was used for calendar and seasonal adjustment.
For better readability, this press release uses a short form for the names of some economic branches which differs from the designations in the "Classification of Economic Activities (2008 edition)". An overview of these short forms (only in German) is provided on the "Industry, manufacturing" page on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
More information:
Detailed data and long time series are available in the GENESIS-Online database (42151-0004 indices of new orders, 42151-0008 indices of new orders excluding large-scale orders, and 42152-0004 turnover indices).
A dossier on the "Short-term indicators" page of the Federal Statistical Office's website provides an analysis of the relationship between material shortages, new orders, production and prices in industry. Detailed information on production in energy-intensive industrial branches (only in German) is available on the "Industry, manufacturing" page.
Information on new orders in manufacturing can also be found on the "Economic Dashboard" (www.dashboard-konjunktur.de) (only in German). In this data portal, the Federal Statistical Office brings together high-frequency indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, the labour market, construction and energy. The "Economic Dashboard" also provides an early indicator for estimating turnover in manufacturing (only in German). First turnover data are therefore already available 20 days after the end of the reference month.