According to provisional data from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the level of real (price-adjusted) incoming orders in the manufacturing sector was 2.2% lower in May 2019 than in the previous month. After review of the preliminary results, April 2019 registered an increase of 0.4% compared with March 2019. Excluding major orders, the level of real orders in the manufacturing sector was 3.0% lower in May 2019 than in April.

Although domestic orders rose by 0.7% in May 2019 compared with April, foreign orders fell by 4.3%. Incoming orders from the eurozone fell by 1.7%. Incoming orders from the rest of the world fell by 5.7% compared with April 2019. Incoming orders were 1.5% lower in May 2019 than in the previous month for manufacturers of intermediate goods, while they were 2.8% lower for producers of capital goods. Orders declined by 0.7% in the consumer goods sector.

According to provisional figures, real turnover in the manufacturing sector was 1.2% lower in May 2019 than in April. April 2019 saw a decline of 0.6% compared with March 2019, thus confirming the preliminary result announced in the previous month.