Manufacturing output almost 13 percent up in December

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© CBS
In December 2021, the average daily output generated by the Dutch manufacturing industry was up by 12.6 percent on December 2020, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Output grew by 10.9 percent in the previous month. In December, manufacturing output was at its highest level ever.

Average daily output manufacturing (volume)
jaarmaandchange (year-on-year % change)
2018January7.5
2018February3.2
2018March3.8
2018April4.7
2018May2.9
2018June3.3
2018July0.9
2018August4
2018September1.7
2018October2.4
2018November1.3
2018December-4.3
2019January-0.6
2019February-0.1
2019March-0.8
2019April-0.3
2019May-0.9
2019June-2.5
2019July0
2019August-1.7
2019September1.2
2019Oktober0.5
2019November-1.6
2019December-1.2
2020January1.7
2020February-0.5
2020March-1.4
2020April-10.5
2020May-11.7
2020June-9.1
2020July-4.3
2020August-3.4
2020September-5.8
2020October-3.5
2020November-2.3
2020December0.5
2021January1.1
2021February-2.0
2021March3.3
2021April13.1
2021May16.2
2021June17.9
2021July14.0
2021August9.3
2021September11.6
2021October9.8
2021November10.9
2021December12.6

Output growth in two thirds of the industries

In December, around two thirds of all manufacturing industries saw their output increase on an annual basis. With over 48 percent, the machinery industry again achieved the highest growth. In the transport equipment industry, output contracted by almost 12 percent.

Average daily output manufacturing (volume) by sector, December 2021
Categorychange (year-on-year % change)
Machinery48.3
Electrical and electronics24.1
Metal products11.8
Chemical products9.6
Rubber and plastic products8.5
Food products3.4
Repair and installation of machinery-3.1
Transport equipment-11.6
Manufacturing (total)12.6
Altogether, the industries referred to in the above graph account for approximately 75 percent of the total manufacturing output

Manufacturing output at record level

A more accurate picture of short-term output developments is obtained when figures are adjusted for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern. After adjustments, an increase of 1.6 percent is seen in manufacturing output between November and December 2021.

Adjusted for seasonal and working-day effects, manufacturing output is seen to fluctuate significantly. In the spring of 2020, output declined rapidly and a low point was reached in May 2020. After that, output picked up again and in December 2021 it was at its highest level ever.

Seasonally adjusted average daily output manufacturing (volume)
jaarmaandindex (2015=100)
2018January110.5
2018February109.4
2018March109.4
2018April109.4
2018May109.6
2018June109.3
2018July107.6
2018August109.3
2018September109.1
2018October109.6
2018November110.2
2018December107
2019January109.6
2019February109.2
2019March108.8
2019April108.9
2019May108.5
2019June107.3
2019July107.5
2019August107.8
2019September109.5
2019October109.7
2019November108.4
2019December106.5
2020January109
2020February108.4
2020March106
2020April97.4
2020May96.5
2020June99.4
2020July103.4
2020August104
2020September104.2
2020October106.2
2020November106.3
2020December107.1
2021January109.6
2021February106.7
2021March109.8
2021April111.0
2021May112.2
2021June115.3
2021July116.7
2021August114.2
2021September116.0
2021October117.3
2021November118.0
2021December119.9

Manufacturers less optimistic

In January 2022, the mood among Dutch manufacturers was less positive than in the previous month. Nevertheless, producer confidence was still well above its long-term average.

Germany is an important foreign market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. In January, German producer confidence according to the Business Climate Index of the IFO Institute improved. Companies were more satisfied with their current business. They were also more optimistic about the coming months. In December, the average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry fell by 2 percent year on year, as reported by Destatis.

The figures published in this news release are provisional and subject to revisions.