Press release No. 216 of 7 May 2021

Production in industry
March 2021 (provisional):
+2.5% on the previous month (price, seasonally and calendar adjusted)
+5.1% on the same month a year earlier (price and calendar adjusted)

February 2021 (revised):
-1.9% on the previous month (price, seasonally and calendar adjusted)
-6.8% on the same month a year earlier (price and calendar adjusted)

WIESBADEN – In March 2021, production in industry was up by 2.5% on the previous month on a price, seasonally and calendar adjusted basis according to provisional data of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Compared with March 2020, the increase in calendar adjusted production in industry amounted to 5.1%.

Compared with February 2020, the month before restrictions were imposed due to the corona pandemic in Germany, production in March 2021 was 4.3% lower in seasonally and calendar adjusted terms.

In March 2021, production in industry excluding energy and construction was up by 0.7%. Within industry, the production of intermediate goods showed an increase of 1.2% and the production of consumer goods of 2.9%. The production of capital goods decreased by 0.4%. Outside industry, energy production was up by 2.4% in March 2021 and the production in construction increased by 10.8%.

In February 2021, the corrected figure on the production in industry showed a decrease of 1.9% (provisional: -1.6%) from January 2021.

The rates of change refer to the production index for industry (2015 = 100). Seasonal and calendar adjustment was made using the X-13 JDemetra+ method.

Basic data and long time series on the production index in industry are also available in the table "Index of production in manufacturing" (42153-0001) in the GENESIS-Online database

Methodological notes:

The differing comparative periods must be taken into account in all press releases on short-term indicators. Short-term economic monitoring focuses on comparisons with the previous month or previous quarter. These reflect short-term economic trends. A calendar adjusted comparison with the previous year is intended to offer a long-term comparison of levels and is not subject to seasonal fluctuations or calendar effects. Due to strong temporary decreases and increases during the current coronavirus crisis, the results of month-on-month/quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year comparisons may differ considerably. In order to provide also a direct comparison with the pre-crisis level, all press releases on short-term indicators available in seasonally adjusted form will, for the time being, include a comparison with February 2020 or the fourth quarter of 2019.

Crisis Monitor enables comparison between corona crisis and financial/economic crisis
The production index is also part of the "Crisis Monitor" (www.destatis.de/krisenmonitor), which is used by the Federal Statistical Office to compare the development of major short-term indicators between the corona crisis and the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. The "Crisis monitor" complements the "Corona statistics" webpage (www.destatis.de/corona), which has provided statistical information on the economic and social consequences of the corona pandemic.