International Economic
German factory orders unexpectedly soar in January
By Abigail Townsend
Date: Thursday 05 Feb 2026
(Sharecast News) - German factory orders soared in January, official data showed on Thursday, far outstripping expectations for a modest decline.
According to Destatis, Germany's Federal Statistical Office, price-adjusted new orders in manufacturing rose 7.8%, or by 13% year-on-year. That compares to an upwardly revised 5.7% increase in December.
Analysts had been expecting a reversal of December's hike and had pencilled in a 2.2% decline for January.
Large-scale orders drove the surprise increase. Once stripped out, new orders rose by a more modest 0.9%.
Destatis said there had been "substantial" growth in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, which recorded growth of 30.2% on the previous month, and a "considerable" increase in machinery and equipment orders, up 11.5%.
Electrical equipment orders jumped 9.8%, and electronic products by 5.7%.
By contrast, new orders declined by 6.3% in the automotive industry and tumbled 18.7% in transport equipment, which includes ships, aircraft, trains and military vehicles.
The German economy - the European Union's largest - is heavily reliant on manufacturing. The sector has struggled in recent years, faced with soaring cost inflation, weak domestic and global demand and stiff competition.
However, the January HCOB manufacturing PMI output index - released earlier this week - moved into positive territory, suggesting a stronger start to the year for the sector.
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