Dutch manufacturing output falls sharply compared to other EU countries

06/10/2023 15:00

In Q2 2023, Dutch manufacturing output was down by 9.5 percent year on year. That made the Netherlands the country with the steepest output decline within the European Union after Estonia. Danish manufacturers saw the strongest increase at 11.2 percent relative to Q2 2022. On average, manufacturing output in the European Union decreased by 0.2 percent. This is evident from new figures released by Eurostat.

The sharp drop in manufacturing output in the Netherlands compared to other European countries is largely due to a decline in the machinery and chemical industries. In Denmark, the pharmaceutical industry in particular produced more.

Average daily production industry, Q2 2023 (volume)
Land	Change (% year-on-year change)
Denmark	11.2
Malta	6.4
Sweden	4.2
Czechia	2.9
Cyprus	2.6
Greece	2
Lithuania	1.9
France	1.5
Germany	1
Slovakia	0
European Union	-0.2
Croatia	-0.3
Spain	-1.3
Austria	-1.3
Poland	-1.8
Belgium	-3.2
Italy	-3.3
Slovenia	-3.3
Hungary	-3.7
Finland	-4.2
Portugal	-4.3
Romenia	-5.2
Luxembourg	-6.5
Latvia	-7.2
Bulgary	-7.8
Netherlands	-9.5
Estonia	-14.2
Source: CBS, Eurostat

Average daily production industry, Q2 2023 (volume)
Land	Change (% year-on-year change)
Denmark	11.2
Malta	6.4
Sweden	4.2
Czechia	2.9
Cyprus	2.6
Greece	2
Lithuania	1.9
France	1.5
Germany	1
Slovakia	0
European Union	-0.2
Croatia	-0.3
Spain	-1.3
Austria	-1.3
Poland	-1.8
Belgium	-3.2
Italy	-3.3
Slovenia	-3.3
Hungary	-3.7
Finland	-4.2
Portugal	-4.3
Romenia	-5.2
Luxembourg	-6.5
Latvia	-7.2
Bulgary	-7.8
Netherlands	-9.5
Estonia	-14.2
Source: CBS, Eurostat

Dutch output still exceeding pre-crisis levels despite decline

After the coronavirus dip in 2020, the Dutch manufacturing industry recovered fairly quickly and continued to grow until the second quarter of 2022. By contrast, neighbouring countries experienced a decline in several quarters. As from Q2 2022, Dutch manufacturing output dropped faster than in neighbouring countries.

In contrast to the Netherlands and Belgium, Germany still manufactures less than before the coronavirus pandemic. This is mainly due to the large German transport sector, but in almost all industries German manufacturing output lags behind that of the Netherlands and Belgium.

Seasonally adjusted average daily output industry (volume)
JJaar	Kwartaal	Europese Unie (Q1 2019=100)	België (Q1 2019=100)	Duitsland (Q1 2019=100)	Nederland (Q1 2019=100)
2019	Q1	100	100	100	100
2019	Q2	99.6	103	99.1	99.1
2019	Q3	99.1	99.8	98.1	99.2
2019	Q4	98.2	101.5	96.2	99.1
2020	Q1	95.5	99.8	94.9	98.7
2020	Q2	79.6	89.9	77.2	89.6
2020	Q3	93.7	97.6	88.6	95.1
2020	Q4	98.8	102.7	94.4	97.5
2021	Q1	100.4	106.7	94.2	100
2021	Q2	100.4	117.7	93.5	103
2021	Q3	100.6	117.6	90.9	105.3
2021	Q4	102	114.5	93.2	108.2
2022	Q1	103.3	115.1	92.8	108.8
2022	Q2	104.1	112.4	92.3	113.4
2022	Q3	105.3	112.6	93	111.4
2022	Q4	105.3	115.1	93	109.6
2023	Q1	104.6	112.2	94	105.9
2023	Q2	103.9	109	93.4	102.7
Source: CBS, Eurostat

Seasonally adjusted average daily output industry (volume)
JJaar	Kwartaal	Europese Unie (Q1 2019=100)	België (Q1 2019=100)	Duitsland (Q1 2019=100)	Nederland (Q1 2019=100)
2019	Q1	100	100	100	100
2019	Q2	99.6	103	99.1	99.1
2019	Q3	99.1	99.8	98.1	99.2
2019	Q4	98.2	101.5	96.2	99.1
2020	Q1	95.5	99.8	94.9	98.7
2020	Q2	79.6	89.9	77.2	89.6
2020	Q3	93.7	97.6	88.6	95.1
2020	Q4	98.8	102.7	94.4	97.5
2021	Q1	100.4	106.7	94.2	100
2021	Q2	100.4	117.7	93.5	103
2021	Q3	100.6	117.6	90.9	105.3
2021	Q4	102	114.5	93.2	108.2
2022	Q1	103.3	115.1	92.8	108.8
2022	Q2	104.1	112.4	92.3	113.4
2022	Q3	105.3	112.6	93	111.4
2022	Q4	105.3	115.1	93	109.6
2023	Q1	104.6	112.2	94	105.9
2023	Q2	103.9	109	93.4	102.7
Source: CBS, Eurostat

Dutch manufacturers less negative than EU average

Despite the drop in output, Dutch industrial manufacturers are less negative than those in neighbouring countries and the European Union average, as calculated according to the European methodology. However, producer confidence in the Netherlands has shown a downward trend since March of this year. Producer confidence in Germany and Belgium is below the EU average.

Producer confidence, seasonally adjusted
Jaar	Maand	European Union (average of the subquestions)	Belgium (average of the subquestions)	Germany (average of the subquestions)	Netherlands (average of the subquestions)
2019	January	0.7	-2.7	2.2	3.3
2019	February	-0.1	-3.5	0.5	3.6
2019	March	-1.3	-2.4	-2.4	3.5
2019	April	-3.4	-7.1	-5.4	3.8
2019	May	-3.2	-6.4	-4.6	2.4
2019	June	-5.5	-9.1	-8.8	0.1
2019	July	-6.7	-8.9	-11.8	0.8
2019	August	-5.9	-11.0	-10.8	1.6
2019	September	-7.5	-11.3	-15.2	0.7
2019	October	-7.7	-9.3	-14.5	1.2
2019	November	-7.0	-9.2	-14.8	0.2
2019	December	-7.3	-10.3	-14.8	0.0
2020	January	-5.2	-4.9	-10.8	0.2
2020	February	-4.4	-4.6	-10.5	1.1
2020	March	-10.4	-7.3	-17.2	-2.2
2020	April	-36.4	-31.4	-35.8	-31.3
2020	May	-30.0	-33.2	-28.8	-28.0
2020	June	-21.6	-30.1	-22.1	-18.2
2020	July	-14.4	-18.8	-15.0	-12.0
2020	August	-10.9	-14.8	-9.8	-8.1
2020	September	-8.4	-9.0	-7.5	-7.5
2020	October	-6.1	-7.3	-3.1	-8.1
2020	November	-7.2	-6.8	-3.8	-6.5
2020	December	-3.6	-3.0	-1.1	-2.8
2021	January	-2.4	-0.3	0.9	-1.9
2021	February	0.3	-0.6	6.6	-2.4
2021	March	3.1	2.6	12.4	1.1
2021	April	5.8	5.0	15.0	4.0
2021	May	7.3	2.1	16.4	5.8
2021	June	9.2	7.5	19.8	8.3
2021	July	11.9	7.1	22.4	8.9
2021	August	11.7	4.2	23.1	6.9
2021	September	12.2	2.5	24.1	8.5
2021	October	12.8	3.8	21.4	9.7
2021	November	12.5	6.3	20.5	10.0
2021	December	12.8	5.5	23.3	7.6
2022	January	11.7	2.4	22.4	6.3
2022	February	12.2	-1.1	22.3	5.9
2022	March	6.7	-6.0	15.1	6.3
2022	April	6.0	-1.7	15.4	7.5
2022	May	4.9	-2.9	14.4	6.2
2022	June	5.1	-7.6	15.0	4.8
2022	July	2.5	-6.3	11.5	4.8
2022	August	1.3	-10.8	8.2	2.2
2022	September	-0.6	-16.6	4.5	0.5
2022	October	-1.6	-19.6	3.4	0.1
2022	November	-2.2	-19.1	3.5	0.9
2022	December	-1.7	-14.1	3.0	1.1
2023	January	-0.5	-15.9	3.9	0.9
2023	February	-1.2	-15.4	2.1	1.1
2023	March	-2.1	-13.0	-0.4	1.6
2023	April	-4.0	-15.0	-1.6	-0.1
2023	May	-5.9	-18.2	-5.2	-1.0
2023	June	-7.9	-19.6	-8.8	-2.0
2023	July	-9.2	-21.1	-13.2	-3.2
2023	August	-9.3	-20.9	-15.6	-4.8
2023	September	-9.0	-19.5	-13.8	-4.8
Source: CBS, Eurostat

Producer confidence, seasonally adjusted
Jaar	Maand	European Union (average of the subquestions)	Belgium (average of the subquestions)	Germany (average of the subquestions)	Netherlands (average of the subquestions)
2019	January	0.7	-2.7	2.2	3.3
2019	February	-0.1	-3.5	0.5	3.6
2019	March	-1.3	-2.4	-2.4	3.5
2019	April	-3.4	-7.1	-5.4	3.8
2019	May	-3.2	-6.4	-4.6	2.4
2019	June	-5.5	-9.1	-8.8	0.1
2019	July	-6.7	-8.9	-11.8	0.8
2019	August	-5.9	-11.0	-10.8	1.6
2019	September	-7.5	-11.3	-15.2	0.7
2019	October	-7.7	-9.3	-14.5	1.2
2019	November	-7.0	-9.2	-14.8	0.2
2019	December	-7.3	-10.3	-14.8	0.0
2020	January	-5.2	-4.9	-10.8	0.2
2020	February	-4.4	-4.6	-10.5	1.1
2020	March	-10.4	-7.3	-17.2	-2.2
2020	April	-36.4	-31.4	-35.8	-31.3
2020	May	-30.0	-33.2	-28.8	-28.0
2020	June	-21.6	-30.1	-22.1	-18.2
2020	July	-14.4	-18.8	-15.0	-12.0
2020	August	-10.9	-14.8	-9.8	-8.1
2020	September	-8.4	-9.0	-7.5	-7.5
2020	October	-6.1	-7.3	-3.1	-8.1
2020	November	-7.2	-6.8	-3.8	-6.5
2020	December	-3.6	-3.0	-1.1	-2.8
2021	January	-2.4	-0.3	0.9	-1.9
2021	February	0.3	-0.6	6.6	-2.4
2021	March	3.1	2.6	12.4	1.1
2021	April	5.8	5.0	15.0	4.0
2021	May	7.3	2.1	16.4	5.8
2021	June	9.2	7.5	19.8	8.3
2021	July	11.9	7.1	22.4	8.9
2021	August	11.7	4.2	23.1	6.9
2021	September	12.2	2.5	24.1	8.5
2021	October	12.8	3.8	21.4	9.7
2021	November	12.5	6.3	20.5	10.0
2021	December	12.8	5.5	23.3	7.6
2022	January	11.7	2.4	22.4	6.3
2022	February	12.2	-1.1	22.3	5.9
2022	March	6.7	-6.0	15.1	6.3
2022	April	6.0	-1.7	15.4	7.5
2022	May	4.9	-2.9	14.4	6.2
2022	June	5.1	-7.6	15.0	4.8
2022	July	2.5	-6.3	11.5	4.8
2022	August	1.3	-10.8	8.2	2.2
2022	September	-0.6	-16.6	4.5	0.5
2022	October	-1.6	-19.6	3.4	0.1
2022	November	-2.2	-19.1	3.5	0.9
2022	December	-1.7	-14.1	3.0	1.1
2023	January	-0.5	-15.9	3.9	0.9
2023	February	-1.2	-15.4	2.1	1.1
2023	March	-2.1	-13.0	-0.4	1.6
2023	April	-4.0	-15.0	-1.6	-0.1
2023	May	-5.9	-18.2	-5.2	-1.0
2023	June	-7.9	-19.6	-8.8	-2.0
2023	July	-9.2	-21.1	-13.2	-3.2
2023	August	-9.3	-20.9	-15.6	-4.8
2023	September	-9.0	-19.5	-13.8	-4.8
Source: CBS, Eurostat

Sources

Eurostat - Production in industry - quarterly data
Eurostat - Eurostat producer confidence

Dutch output still exceeding pre-crisis levels despite decline

Dutch manufacturers less negative than EU average

Sources

Related items