In April 2009 compared with March 2009, the euro area (EA16) industrial new orders index fell by 1.0%. In March the index decreased by 0.2%. In the EU27 new orders declined by 0.5% in April 2009, after dropping by 0.5% in March. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment, for which changes tend to be more volatile, industrial new orders decreased by 0.9% in the euro area, but increased by 0.3% in the EU27.

In April 2009 compared with April 2008, industrial new orders decreased by 35.5% in the euro area and by 35.0% in the EU27. Total industry excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment dropped by 35.3% in the euro area and by 33.8% in the EU27.

Monthly changes

In April 2009 compared with March 2009, new orders for non-durable consumer goods grew by 1.8% in the euro area, but fell by 0.9% in the EU27. Intermediate goods decreased by 0.7% and 0.4% respectively. Durable consumer goods dropped by 0.9% in the euro area, but rose by 0.8% in the EU27. Capital goods declined by 2.4% and 3.9% respectively.

Among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders rose in six, fell in twelve and remained stable in the United Kingdom. The highest increases were registered in Latvia (+11.3%), Bulgaria (+9.6%) and Romania (+2.7%), and the largest decreases in Portugal (-22.9%), Denmark (-13.5%) and Hungary (-10.4%).

Annual changes

In April 2009 compared with April 2008, new orders for non-durable consumer goods fell by 8.9% in the euro area and by 7.4% in the EU27. Durable consumer goods declined by 26.0% and 22.6% respectively. Intermediate goods decreased by 38.3% in the euro area and by 36.3% in the EU27. Capital goods dropped by 39.1% and 39.5% respectively.

Total manufacturing working on orders fell in all the Member States for which data are available. The largest falls were registered in Estonia (-44.4%), Germany (-39.5%) and Lithuania (-39.4%), and the smallest in Poland (-20.3%), Latvia (-22.1%) and Romania (-24.1%).