German Manufacturing Orders Plunge 3.8% in April 2026 Amid Automotive Slump
New orders in the German manufacturing sector fell by a seasonally and calendar-adjusted 3.8% in April 2026 compared to the previous month, according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This sharp decline follows a revised 4.5% increase in March 2026. Despite the monthly drop, April’s orders grew by 1.6% compared to the same month last year.
The monthly downturn reflects a broad pullback across major industrial sectors, even when excluding large-scale orders, which also dropped by 3.8%. In the less volatile three-month comparison, total manufacturing orders from February to April 2026 slipped by 3.1% compared to the previous three months. However, excluding large orders, demand actually rose by 3.5% over the same period.
Significant slumps in key industries drove the negative trend in April. The electrical equipment sector suffered the steepest loss, with orders plummeting 16.3% from the previous month. Mechanical engineering orders sank by 7.4%, while the critical automotive industry saw a 5.3% decline.
Demand weakened across all product categories. Consumer goods orders led the drop with a 6.7% decline, followed closely by intermediate goods at 4.4% and capital goods at 2.9%.
International demand largely fueled the overall decrease. Foreign orders fell by 4.2% in April, dragged down heavily by an 11.1% plunge in demand from within the Eurozone. Conversely, orders from countries outside the Eurozone provided a small bright spot, rising by 0.8%. Domestic orders also dropped, falling by 2.9% compared to March.
While incoming orders slowed, actual manufacturing sales remained relatively stable. Real sales edged up by 0.1% in April 2026 compared to the previous month, following a revised 1.2% gain in March. Year-on-year, April sales increased by 0.6% compared to April 2025.