Eurostat: December 2009 compared with November 2009 - Industrial new orders up by 0.8% in euro area

According to Eurostat data, in December 2009 compared with November 2009, the euro area1 (EA16) industrial new orders index2 rose by 0.8%, after +2.7% in November3. In the EU271 new orders increased by 0.6% in December 2009, after +2.4% in November3. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment4, for which changes tend to be more volatile, industrial new orders fell by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.8% in the EU27 in December.

In December 2009 compared with December 2008, industrial new orders increased by 9.5% in the euro area and by 6.3% in the EU27. Total industry excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment4 rose by 8.1% and 5.5% respectively. Compared with 2008, the average new orders index for 2009 fell by 22.6% in the euro area and by 21.9% in the EU27. These estimates are released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Monthly changes

In December 2009 compared with November 2009, new orders for capital goods rose by 7.0% in the euro area and by 4.3% in the EU27. Non-durable consumer goods increased by 0.3% in the euro area, but fell by 1.5% in the EU27. Durable consumer goods decreased by 1.5% in the euro area, but gained 2.2% in the EU27. Intermediate goods dropped by 4.1% and 3.0% respectively. Among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders rose in ten and fell in eleven. The highest increases were registered in France (+17.1%), Lithuania (+6.1%) and Latvia (+6.0%), and the largest decreases in Hungary (-8.0%), Ireland (-7.2%) and the Netherlands (-4.7%).

Annual changes

In December 2009 compared with December 2008, new orders for capital goods increased by 15.6% in the euro area and by 8.7% in the EU27. Intermediate goods rose by 5.6% in both zones. Non-durable consumer goods gained 0.6% in the euro area, but fell by 1.4% in the EU27. Durable consumer goods grew by 0.2% and 7.1% respectively. Among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders rose in thirteen and fell in nine. The highest rises were registered in France (+20.4%), Slovakia (+18.2%) and Finland (+15.4%), and the largest falls in Ireland (-24.8%), Portugal (-15.6%) and Estonia (-13.2%).