German production rose 0.7% in September 2026 from August, with car manufacturing providing the largest boost. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) published the preliminary, price-adjusted figures on 6 November 2026. Automotive output increased 17.1%, following two months in which factory holidays and production changes had helped keep it low. The monthly gain came at the end of a weaker quarter. Total output in July to September was 0.4% below the second quarter.
Key facts
- Total output rose 0.7% from August and 0.4% from September 2025. The monthly comparison is seasonally and calendar adjusted, while the annual comparison is calendar adjusted.
- Industrial production excluding energy and construction rose 1.7% from August.
- Real manufacturing orders rose 4.4% from August. Real manufacturing turnover increased 0.2%.
Which sectors drove the September increase?
Destatis identified automotive manufacturing as the principal source of the September increase. The comparison is with a low level in August, after two subdued months. Pharmaceutical output also increased after two weaker months. Machinery production moved in the opposite direction, declining in September after rising 5.8% in August.
The table shows selected sectors from the release. The figures are preliminary changes in real output from August to September 2026, with seasonal and calendar adjustments.
| Sector | Output change from August |
|---|---|
| Automotive manufacturing | +17.1% |
| Pharmaceuticals | +8.0% |
| Energy production | −1.2% |
| Construction | −2.6% |
| Machinery manufacturing | −6.5% |
The breakdown by type of industrial goods shows where the gains were concentrated. Capital goods production increased 3.0%, compared with 0.8% for consumer goods and 0.1% for intermediate goods. On a calendar-adjusted basis, industrial output excluding energy and construction was 0.3% higher than a year earlier. That annual rate compares levels with September 2025, whereas the 1.7% figure measures the change from August.
Energy-intensive industries also recorded a monthly gain, with output up 0.8%. Over the full third quarter, however, their production was 3.5% below the previous quarter. It was 1.9% below its September 2025 level on a calendar-adjusted basis. The quarterly and annual comparisons show how far the monthly increase went against the recent weakness in those industries.
What can new orders tell us about the next month?
The orders release of 5 November tracks new business in selected manufacturing industries. The 4.4% September gain followed a revised 10.1% fall in August from July. In the third quarter as a whole, orders were just 0.2% above the second quarter. Excluding large orders, the quarterly increase was 0.1%.
Automotive orders and output both rose in September. Machinery showed why the two measures can diverge. New orders rose 8.3%, helped by a large order in the manufacture of engines and turbines, while output declined. An order enters the order index when it is received. Production measures what was made during the reporting month, so the orders figures give a separate view of demand.
Destatis also revised the August increase in total production to 1.0% from its initial estimate of 2.0%, citing additional construction-sector returns. That revision changes the reading of momentum before September. The next monthly figures will show whether the rebound from the summer lull in automotive manufacturing carries into October and whether output also picks up in other industries.
