In April 2026, incoming orders in the mechanical engineering sector in NRW were 5% below the previous year in real terms. Germany lost 4%, other countries 5%; the eurozone fell by 8%.
n April 2026, incoming orders in the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia fell short of the previous year’s level by 5% in real terms. Domestic business lost 4%, while orders from abroad fell by 5%. The non-eurozone contributed to this foreign result with a drop of 4%, while orders from the eurozone fell by 8%.
In the less volatile three-month period from February 2026 to April 2026, incoming orders fell by 10% compared to the previous year. Domestic demand fell by 18%, while foreign demand declined by 6%. Orders from the eurozone fell by 10% compared to the same period last year, while incoming orders from outside the eurozone were 4% lower than in 2025.
This development underlines the fact that the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia is not yet on a stable path to recovery. Above all, the persistently weak demand from Germany and the eurozone shows that the industry is still dependent on new growth impetus. In order for production and ultimately also investment to pick up speed again and for companies to gain more planning security, clear and reliable signals from economic policy are now needed in addition to orders. This urgently requires far-reaching reforms to the social systems and greater flexibility in the labour market.