FX.co ★ Dutch Manufacturing Output Recovers in May

In May 2025, manufacturing output in the Netherlands experienced a slight recovery, growing by 0.5% from the previous month, following a 1.1% decrease in April. This bounce back was primarily due to a significant increase in pharmaceutical production, which rose sharply by 9.8% after experiencing a substantial 27.2% drop in April. Additionally, machinery production saw a resurgence, increasing by 1% compared to a slight decline of 0.1% previously, and there was notable growth in the repair and installation of machinery, which surged by 7% after a 2.9% decrease. Other sectors also demonstrated gains, with basic metals witnessing an increase to 7.7% from 1.9% and graphic products growing to 2.3% from 2.2%. Conversely, the petroleum industry continued to see a decline in production, worsening to -8.7% from -6.9%, alongside contractions in electrical equipment at -4.3% compared to -3.4%, and rubber and plastics which fell to -0.6% from a previous growth of 1.8%. Year-over-year, manufacturing activity rose by 0.8% in May, recovering from a 0.6% decline recorded in the prior month.