Germany’s industrial production increased by 0.4% month-on-month in April 2026, rebounding from a revised 0.1% decline in March and in line with market expectations. This was the first rise since the war began in late February, supported mainly by stronger activity in construction (+2.4%), the chemical industry (+2.1%), and the manufacture of fabricated metal products excluding machinery and equipment (+1.6%).
By contrast, output in the automotive industry dropped sharply, falling 4.7%. Excluding energy and construction, overall industrial production was flat compared with the previous month, as higher production of intermediate goods (+1.4%) and consumer goods (+1.9%) was offset by a 1.5% decline in capital goods output. Outside industry, energy production inched up 0.2%.
On a less volatile three-month comparison, industrial output decreased by 0.5% in the February–April period versus the previous three months. Year-on-year, industrial production was down 0.5%, following a 3.4% contraction in March.
