In December 2024, the Netherlands saw a continued decrease in industrial output, marking the most significant decline in six months, as reported by the Central Bureau of Statistics on Monday. Industrial production saw a sharp year-on-year decline of 4.4%, a stark contrast to the marginal 0.1% drop recorded in November. This marks the steepest decline since June of the previous year, when production fell by 5.0%. The downward trend in production has persisted since July 2023.
Notably, among the various sectors, the transport equipment industry experienced the most substantial decline. In contrast, the sector involved in the repair and installation of machinery saw the largest growth. On a month-to-month basis, industrial production fell by 1.0% in December.
In January, manufacturers in the industry maintained their negative outlook from December. While they showed slightly improved sentiments regarding their order portfolios, they felt less optimistic about future activity and more concerned about the levels of finished product inventories.
