In December 2025, incoming orders in the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia exceeded the previous year’s level by 14% in real terms.
Domestic orders increased by 7% and orders from abroad by 17%. The eurozone contributed to this foreign result with a plus of 11% and the non-eurozone with a plus of 19%.
In the less volatile three-month period from October to December 2025, incoming orders increased by a total of 4% compared to the previous year. Domestic demand improved by 8%, while foreign demand rose by 3%. Orders from the eurozone increased by 5% compared to the same period last year, while incoming orders from outside the eurozone were also 2% higher than in 2024.
The annual balance of incoming orders for the NRW mechanical and plant engineering sector shows a slight increase of 1% for 2025. Domestic demand rose by 6%, while foreign business was down 1% compared to the same period last year. Demand from the eurozone was 6% higher and demand from the non-eurozone 4% lower than in the previous year.
After three years in a row, North Rhine-Westphalia’s mechanical and plant engineering sector is finally experiencing an increase in orders again – albeit only by 1%. The positive annual result is pleasing, but must be viewed against the backdrop of the previous year’s weak level and cannot hide the fact that we are still in a challenging phase. Although there are initial glimmers of hope for an economic upturn, structural reforms are still necessary in Germany and also in North Rhine-Westphalia to improve the competitive position of our companies.