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March 2008 compared with February 2008
Industrial new orders down by 1.0% in euro area
Down by 0.7% in EU27

Reference:  STAT/08/72    Date:  22/05/2008
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STAT/08/72
22 May 2008

March 2008 compared with February 2008
Industrial new orders down by 1.0% in euro area
Down by 0.7% in EU27

In March 2008 compared with February 2008, the euro area1 (EA15) industrial new orders index2 fell by 1.0%. In February3 the index grew by 0.2%. In the EU271 new orders fell by 0.7% in March 2008 after declining by 0.3% in February3. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment4 industrial new orders decreased by 0.3% in the euro area and increased by 0.9% in the EU27.

In March 2008 compared with March 2007, industrial new orders decreased by 2.5% in the euro area and by 1.3% in the EU27. Total industry excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment fell by 5.0% in the euro area and by 4.2% in the EU27.

These estimates are released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.

[ Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED ]

Monthly changes

In March 2008 compared with February 2008, new orders for transport equipment increased by 0.5% in the euro area, but fell by 1.7% in the EU27. Electrical & electronic equipment rose by 0.1% in the euro area, but declined by 0.5% in the EU27. Manufacturing of chemicals & chemical products decreased by 0.4% and 2.0% respectively. Basic metals & fabricated metal products dropped by 1.3% in the euro area, but gained 1.6% in the EU27. Manufacturing of machinery & equipment declined by 1.3% and 0.2% respectively. Textiles & textile products decreased by 3.6% in the euro area, but grew by 0.5% in the EU27.

In March 2008, among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders rose in six and fell in twelve. The highest increases were recorded in Romania (+9.9%) and Spain (+5.4%), and the largest decreases in Denmark (-10.2%), France (-6.8%) and Estonia (-6.6%).

Annual changes

In March 2008 compared with March 2007, new orders for transport equipment increased by 3.6% in the euro area and by 5.1% in the EU27. Manufacturing of chemicals & chemical products decreased by 1.5% and 0.4% respectively. Basic metals & fabricated metal products fell by 2.7% in both zones. Machinery & equipment declined by 4.6% in the euro area and by 1.9% in the EU27. Manufacturing of electrical & electronic equipment dropped by 4.7% and 5.1% respectively. Textiles & textile products fell by 14.5% in the euro area and by 13.6% in the EU27.

In March 2008, among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders rose in nine and fell in nine. The highest increases were registered in Bulgaria (+20.8%), Slovakia (+9.3%), Lithuania (+8.6%) and Spain (+8.5%), and the largest decreases in Greece (-10.4%), the Netherlands (-9.1%) and Sweden (-8.8%).

  1. The euro area (EA15) consists of Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland.

The EU27 includes Belgium (BE), Bulgaria (BG), the Czech Republic (CZ), Denmark (DK), Germany (DE), Estonia (EE), Ireland (IE), Greece (EL), Spain (ES), France (FR), Italy (IT), Cyprus (CY), Latvia (LV), Lithuania (LT), Luxembourg (LU), Hungary (HU), Malta (MT), the Netherlands (NL), Austria (AT), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Romania (RO), Slovenia (SI), Slovakia (SK), Finland (FI), Sweden (SE) and the United Kingdom (UK).

  1. The new orders index measures the value of future deliveries of products and services (which are directly linked to these products) to be provided by a producer to a third party on the domestic and non-domestic market. The total manufacturing aggregate includes only those NACE levels required by the STS Regulation to be supplied by the Member States (NACE 17, 18, 21, 24, 27-35) and is referred to as “total manufacturing working on orders”. The euro area and EU aggregates normally do not include Member States for which no data is available. For methodology see News Release 135/2003 of 26 November 2003.

The seasonally adjusted euro area and EU series are calculated by aggregating the unadjusted series from individual Member States and performing an adjustment for seasonal effects on these series. Therefore the seasonally adjusted figures for the European aggregates are based directly on the unadjusted series coming from the Member States and not on an aggregation of the seasonally adjusted indices from the Member States. The euro area and EU seasonally adjusted growth rates might differ from the weighted growth rates of the individual Member States. This procedure also implies that the aggregation of the overall figures is not based on the published details.

  1. Data of previous months have been revised compared to those issued in the News Release 57/2008 of 23 April 2008. The figures for February 2008 were +0.6% in the euro area and 0.0% in the EU27 for the monthly changes, and +9.9% in the euro area and +9.2% in the EU27 for the annual changes.
  2. Transport equipment includes NACE 34 (motor vehicles) and NACE 35 (other transport equipment, which includes ships, railway and aerospace equipment). New orders for NACE 35 tend to be very volatile with a limited immediate impact on production. The new aggregate "Manufacturing working on orders excluding NACE 35" is less erratic. The share of NACE 35 in total manufacturing working on orders is 3.9% for the euro area and 4.3% for the EU.
  3. When shown as confidential in the table, data for Belgium, Cyprus, Malta, Finland and the United Kingdom are included in the European aggregates. They are not published at the national level and are therefore still confidential.
  4. Data for Ireland are working day adjusted figures.
Issued by: Eurostat Press Office

Tim ALLEN
Tel: +352-4301-33 444
mailto:eurostat-pressoffice@ec.europa.eu
For further information on data:

Irina SCHöN
Tel: +352-4301-35 186
mailto:irina.schoen@ec.europa.eu

Eurostat news releases on the Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
Selected Principal European Economic Indicators: http://ec.europa.eu/euroindicators
Industrial new orders

% change compared with previous month


Oct-07
Nov-07
Dec-07
Jan-08
Feb-08
Mar-08
EA15






Total manufacturing working on orders
2.8
1.7
-3.7
2.3
0.2
-1.0
Total manufacturing excl. NACE 354
1.4
0.1
-0.6
1.3
-0.6
-0.3
textiles and textile products
2.6
-0.8
-2.3
0.5
0.9
-3.6
chemicals and chemical products
0.8
0.8
-0.2
1.7
0.9
-0.4
basic metals and fabricated metal products
3.4
3.8
-3.7
1.2
1.5
-1.3
machinery and equipment
-0.9
-2.3
-0.3
3.2
-1.0
-1.3
electrical and electronic equipment
0.9
-0.1
1.8
-1.2
1.5
0.1
transport equipment
5.5
5.7
-10.3
5.7
-0.4
0.5
EU27






Total manufacturing working on orders
5.3
-0.6
-1.4
-0.9
-0.3
-0.7
Total manufacturing excl. NACE 354
1.5
0.7
-0.5
-0.5
-0.6
0.9
textiles and textile products
0.7
-0.1
-1.7
0.8
0.3
0.5
chemicals and chemical products
1.8
1.7
-2.4
3.3
1.3
-2.0
basic metals and fabricated metal products
2.8
1.7
-3.3
3.0
-2.0
1.6
machinery and equipment
-0.5
-2.2
-1.9
6.2
-3.4
-0.2
electrical and electronic equipment
1.2
0.6
1.2
-2.6
1.8
-0.5
transport equipment
14.5
-1.4
-4.8
-4.6
1.6
-1.7


Total manufacturing working on orders
Oct-07
Nov-07
Dec-07
Jan-08
Feb-08
Mar-08
EA15
2.8
1.7
-3.7
2.3
0.2
-1.0
EU27
5.3
-0.6
-1.4
-0.9
-0.3
-0.7
Belgium5
-0.2
0.8
0.0
c
c
:
Bulgaria
14.6
0.6
-13.1
7.5
12.2
-3.3
Czech Republic
6.7
-6.1
-5.0
4.7
-1.8
-2.1
Denmark
13.3
2.2
-7.7
-2.4
20.0
-10.2
Germany
4.6
3.7
-2.3
-0.6
-0.3
-0.8
Estonia
3.4
-5.3
5.8
2.6
5.8
-6.6
Ireland
11.5
-11.3
0.2
9.6
2.4
4.5
Greece
0.0
-0.1
-2.6
0.9
1.6
-5.1
Spain
4.1
-1.3
-0.9
-0.3
1.5
5.4
France
3.5
0.1
-3.8
5.1
1.9
-6.8
Italy
0.5
5.0
-8.1
3.3
1.7
-1.5
Cyprus5
c
c
c
c
c
:
Latvia
14.6
-12.9
23.0
-15.1
20.4
:
Lithuania
4.9
-2.1
3.9
-1.2
-1.4
0.9
Luxembourg
-8.2
-11.7
19.8
6.0
-1.8
:
Hungary
5.3
-1.6
-1.6
0.4
-0.6
-5.0
Malta
:
:
:
:
:
:
Netherlands
0.3
-3.8
4.1
0.6
2.0
-6.1
Austria
-1.3
-4.9
-0.8
3.0
0.8
:
Poland
2.2
1.7
11.8
-23.0
0.5
3.1
Portugal
3.9
5.1
-7.0
0.4
3.4
4.7
Romania
6.2
0.9
6.2
-11.7
2.6
9.9
Slovenia
:
:
:
:
:
:
Slovakia
4.9
-4.2
3.7
-0.7
4.5
-0.9
Finland5
c
c
c
c
c
c
Sweden
-1.4
1.5
-2.8
4.3
-4.1
-5.5
United Kingdom5
c
c
c
c
c
c

Seasonally adjusted
: Data not available
c Confidential

Industrial new orders

% change compared with same month of previous year


Oct-07
Nov-07
Dec-07
Jan-08
Feb-08
Mar-08
EA15






Total manufacturing working on orders
11.2
11.3
2.1
7.1
9.9
-2.5
Total manufacturing excl. NACE 354
9.5
6.0
3.4
5.6
7.1
-5.0
textiles and textile products
3.4
1.1
-4.9
0.2
7.2
-14.5
chemicals and chemical products
7.1
6.5
2.1
5.5
8.3
-1.5
basic metals and fabricated metal products
7.9
9.9
1.6
4.8
7.5
-2.7
machinery and equipment
14.3
9.0
5.9
10.0
8.4
-4.6
electrical and electronic equipment
5.3
3.7
5.6
4.1
9.5
-4.7
transport equipment
22.3
27.6
-1.2
12.6
16.4
3.6
EU27






Total manufacturing working on orders
17.8
13.5
8.1
7.0
9.3
-1.3
Total manufacturing excl. NACE 354
11.8
8.4
7.2
5.7
6.4
-4.2
textiles and textile products
5.7
3.4
-2.7
0.4
6.9
-13.6
chemicals and chemical products
10.0
9.1
5.7
6.9
9.4
-0.4
basic metals and fabricated metal products
8.5
8.0
0.3
5.5
5.8
-2.7
machinery and equipment
15.6
8.8
7.3
11.0
10.5
-1.9
electrical and electronic equipment
5.9
7.5
8.9
0.6
5.6
-5.1
transport equipment
42.9
33.5
16.4
12.5
14.6
5.1


Total manufacturing working on orders
Oct-07
Nov-07
Dec-07
Jan-08
Feb-08
Mar-08
EA15
11.2
11.3
2.1
7.1
9.9
-2.5
EU27
17.8
13.5
8.1
7.0
9.3
-1.3
Belgium5
2.7
1.2
-1.5
c
c
:
Bulgaria
15.5
12.4
-10.1
2.3
21.3
20.8
Czech Republic
21.3
7.5
-1.0
4.0
4.4
-4.9
Denmark
4.1
21.3
0.8
3.2
27.2
3.1
Germany
15.9
15.1
7.6
9.5
9.8
-4.3
Estonia
13.7
5.1
7.1
16.9
19.3
4.2
Ireland6
10.1
9.8
-5.4
-6.8
1.6
5.2
Greece
-0.4
1.8
1.2
-7.7
0.6
-10.4
Spain
7.9
3.0
1.4
-2.1
4.1
8.5
France
7.7
11.3
-4.2
9.4
11.8
-3.2
Italy
9.3
14.8
0.6
7.5
16.5
-2.8
Cyprus5
c
c
c
c
c
:
Latvia
9.1
-34.6
9.5
13.2
32.4
:
Lithuania
31.2
21.9
19.9
19.2
20.0
8.6
Luxembourg
1.4
-12.5
-21.6
-5.3
11.0
:
Hungary
15.5
8.9
12.2
-2.0
-5.5
-4.3
Malta
:
:
:
:
:
:
Netherlands
7.7
-1.0
2.2
5.5
9.2
-9.1
Austria
9.4
0.4
-1.9
5.1
6.2
:
Poland
61.1
46.1
87.3
8.8
2.4
-2.9
Portugal
12.6
14.0
-4.7
-0.9
2.3
0.9
Romania
25.6
23.0
31.5
7.5
5.8
4.3
Slovenia
:
:
:
:
:
:
Slovakia
19.9
12.2
15.0
13.1
17.1
9.3
Finland5
c
c
c
c
c
c
Sweden
8.4
4.4
0.2
2.1
3.0
-8.8
United Kingdom5
c
c
c
c
c
c

Gross data
: Data not available
c Confidential

Industrial new orders indices for total manufacturing working on orders
Seasonally adjusted

(Base year 2000)


03/07
04/07
05/07
06/07
07/07
08/07
09/07
10/07
11/07
12/07
01/08
02/08
03/08
EA15
127.3
126.0
128.5
134.3
129.8
129.1
128.1
131.6
133.9
129.0
132.0
132.3
131.0
EU27
131.9
130.3
133.6
141.4
135.7
136.9
134.8
142.0
141.2
139.3
138.1
137.7
136.8
BE5
113.3
109.4
113.3
113.3
114.6
109.9
108.9
108.7
109.5
109.5
c
c
:
BG
238.5
239.4
287.1
239.9
248.1
252.6
246.6
282.6
284.4
247.1
265.6
297.9
288.1
CZ
270.3
261.0
265.0
273.7
268.2
272.8
275.0
293.5
275.6
261.9
274.1
269.2
263.6
DK
120.0
126.0
123.1
127.5
147.3
137.5
126.6
143.4
146.5
135.2
132.0
158.4
142.2
DE
136.1
135.5
140.2
148.7
138.6
140.3
138.2
144.6
150.0
146.5
145.6
145.2
144.0
EE
319.4
314.7
314.4
339.6
319.1
331.7
326.9
337.9
320.1
338.7
347.5
367.6
343.2
IE
118.8
115.1
107.2
109.8
110.2
111.2
107.6
120.0
106.4
106.6
116.8
119.6
125.0
EL
143.7
131.1
134.0
129.8
135.9
134.0
136.7
136.7
136.6
133.1
134.2
136.4
129.5
ES
123.3
127.4
128.6
126.7
130.7
126.2
126.3
131.5
129.9
128.7
128.3
130.1
137.2
FR
117.0
115.5
118.5
127.9
123.5
119.0
116.5
120.6
120.7
116.1
122.0
124.3
115.8
IT
123.0
119.2
120.6
126.0
125.0
123.1
123.5
124.2
130.4
119.9
123.8
125.9
124.1
CY5
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
:
LV
356.9
319.6
366.6
406.0
325.1
355.3
331.4
379.7
330.6
406.7
345.2
415.6
:
LT
267.9
261.1
274.5
284.4
292.3
292.7
282.9
296.8
290.4
301.8
298.1
294.1
296.8
LU
162.0
134.6
119.0
141.9
127.9
120.5
126.0
115.6
102.1
122.3
129.6
127.2
:
HU
202.5
186.5
206.1
193.2
198.3
201.2
201.6
212.2
208.8
205.4
206.2
204.9
194.6
MT
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
NL
119.8
116.4
115.2
119.6
118.3
120.8
118.4
118.7
114.2
118.9
119.6
122.0
114.6
AT
156.2
148.8
151.3
149.1
150.5
154.5
160.4
158.4
150.6
149.4
154.0
155.2
:
PL
265.2
262.8
263.7
267.2
290.8
294.0
277.8
283.9
288.8
322.9
248.7
249.8
257.6
PT
140.0
134.5
139.9
133.3
139.8
143.0
132.2
137.3
144.3
134.2
134.8
139.4
146.0
RO
465.3
448.5
474.2
472.7
474.7
485.6
488.9
519.4
524.1
556.4
491.2
504.0
554.0
SI
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
SK
262.9
269.2
275.7
274.6
287.8
265.6
281.6
295.4
283.1
293.5
291.6
304.7
302.1
FI5
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
SE
129.5
126.2
133.7
127.6
128.7
126.7
131.8
129.9
131.9
128.2
133.7
128.3
121.3
UK5
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c

: Data not available
c Confidential



Industrial new orders indices for total manufacturing working on orders excluding NACE 354
Seasonally adjusted

(Base year 2000)


03/07
04/07
05/07
06/07
07/07
08/07
09/07
10/07
11/07
12/07
01/08
02/08
03/08
EA15
128.4
126.9
127.9
129.7
130.1
130.0
128.6
130.4
130.5
129.7
131.3
130.5
130.2
EU27
133.3
132.2
132.8
135.0
137.3
137.3
134.3
136.3
137.3
136.6
135.9
135.1
136.3

Industrial new orders indices for total manufacturing working on orders
Gross data

(Base year 2000)


03/05
03/06
03/07
04/07
05/07
06/07
07/07
08/07
09/07
10/07
11/07
12/07
01/08
02/08
03/08
EA15
115.8
131.8
141.2
120.9
130.0
141.9
129.0
104.6
127.7
137.9
138.3
125.0
133.9
136.4
137.6
EU27
118.3
133.1
144.3
125.2
134.6
147.5
132.9
114.0
133.7
149.8
145.1
135.8
141.0
141.1
142.4
BE5
102.2
121.8
127.4
110.2
115.1
119.4
103.1
98.9
110.7
117.9
110.3
102.3
c
c
:
BG
210.9
222.3
256.3
242.5
282.6
238.3
247.4
243.2
242.6
279.8
275.3
240.1
271.6
280.6
309.7
CZ
200.6
257.0
280.2
258.9
273.9
282.5
239.3
254.0
270.1
321.7
286.8
232.7
297.5
274.4
266.4
DK
121.0
129.8
130.6
118.2
122.0
140.8
126.6
132.0
124.5
151.2
154.6
132.1
134.7
158.6
134.6
DE
117.1
136.4
150.2
129.9
138.6
151.2
137.8
130.5
134.5
149.1
154.5
136.6
148.3
148.5
143.7
EE
242.9
268.0
330.1
311.8
337.1
343.0
290.9
342.4
333.5
376.7
339.6
308.7
316.8
338.1
343.9
IE6
103.3
115.3
127.0
115.9
104.9
121.1
101.2
102.2
108.5
118.0
110.2
116.2
107.1
115.5
133.6
EL
125.3
144.2
159.5
127.5
143.7
138.8
145.8
98.9
147.6
145.4
140.4
118.8
120.5
136.7
142.9
ES
113.2
131.4
140.7
122.9
137.6
130.2
133.1
86.7
128.7
135.9
136.9
122.5
128.2
129.2
152.7
FR
113.8
125.9
128.8
110.5
115.3
146.7
116.3
86.3
118.3
129.4
127.4
110.8
128.6
124.9
124.7
IT
115.6
124.7
139.9
111.8
124.7
134.0
135.6
71.7
125.4
130.0
130.9
124.1
118.6
137.1
136.0
CY5
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
:
LV
215.0
507.6
352.1
316.8
386.0
409.0
320.8
344.9
333.9
368.6
322.4
428.2
340.6
413.9
:
LT
189.5
233.8
290.2
257.3
283.1
276.4
271.3
281.1
285.1
321.6
295.4
288.6
304.0
292.8
315.1
LU
108.1
153.7
180.0
133.1
120.9
144.5
125.2
104.8
123.1
119.9
98.2
107.8
139.1
139.8
:
HU
142.4
198.4
207.3
167.8
190.1
194.0
176.8
180.3
211.4
220.8
226.1
216.2
241.3
200.7
198.4
MT5
c
c
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
NL
104.9
125.7
128.0
112.2
117.4
123.5
114.0
115.0
117.2
121.7
115.8
116.6
121.0
123.6
116.4
AT
134.3
150.8
169.4
143.9
149.5
149.9
144.3
134.6
169.3
163.4
151.0
148.0
161.1
149.5
:
PL
137.2
162.0
267.6
261.9
258.1
262.4
277.7
282.7
283.0
303.1
294.6
299.1
263.7
246.9
259.8
PT
149.5
139.8
163.4
132.7
152.5
129.7
140.1
105.6
129.3
147.1
148.0
128.3
140.6
137.8
164.9
RO
348.3
377.0
502.7
411.5
461.1
444.2
429.3
418.7
449.3
526.3
502.6
555.6
609.8
498.3
524.3
SI
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
SK
173.1
219.3
275.7
257.7
286.0
277.1
275.0
233.8
303.6
325.2
297.1
270.2
282.1
299.2
301.4
FI5
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
SE
120.6
138.3
143.2
123.6
137.5
135.3
99.4
121.4
131.2
136.2
136.4
123.7
137.8
133.2
130.6
UK5
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c

: Data not available
c Confidential



Industrial new orders indices for total manufacturing working on orders excluding NACE 354
Gross data

(Base year 2000)


03/05
03/06
03/07
04/07
05/07
06/07
07/07
08/07
09/07
10/07
11/07
12/07
01/08
02/08
03/08
EA15
116.0
132.7
143.8
122.5
130.9
134.8
131.1
105.8
128.3
137.7
132.8
122.3
134.0
135.1
136.6
EU27
118.8
134.4
147.4
126.9
135.2
139.9
134.6
114.8
134.3
143.7
139.4
128.6
139.5
139.2
141.2