Deutsche Industrie: Auftragseingang legte im Juli stärker zu als erwartet

Deutsche industry orders surge surprisingly in July

Germany's industry received more orders than expected in July, according to the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden. The orders grew by 2.5 percent compared to the previous month, seasonally and calendar-adjusted. This figure significantly exceeded economists' predictions. Even compared to the same month last year, there was a substantial 13 percent increase when calendar-adjusted.

The rise in July was largely driven by other vehicle manufacturing, including planes, ships, trains, and military vehicles. This growth is largely due to government investments in defense, resulting in a special economic upturn. The order volume in this sector more than doubled compared to the previous month, with a 126 percent increase, according to statisticians.

However, the automotive industry experienced a decline in orders, with a 12.5 percent decrease. "The post-crisis bottom has been surpassed," said Jens-Oliver Niklasch, an economist at the Landesbank LBBW. "Even with these figures, it's clear that the post-crisis bottom has been reached. It's been a while since the German economy has been featured in so many positive headlines."

Leading institutions have raised their forecasts for the German economy, with the Ifo Institute expecting a 1.4 percent growth in 2026. In 2025, the gross domestic product only grew by 0.2 percent, and in the two years prior, the economy shrank. "The sharp rise in order intake in industry is another sign that Germany's industry is slowly emerging from its prolonged weak phase," said Sebastian Dullien, senior director at the Institute for Macroeconomics and Economic Research of the Hans-Böckler Foundation.

Despite the recovery, key challenges remain, such as competition from China and US tariffs. Many capacities are still expected to remain underutilized despite the rise in orders. "As a result, more jobs in industry are likely to be lost."