In February 2011 compared with January 2011, the euro area (EA17) industrial new orders index rose by 0.9%. In January the index grew by 1.2%. In the EU27, new orders increased by 1.2% in February 2011, after a rise of 0.5% in January. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment, for which changes tend to be more volatile, industrial new orders increased by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU27.

In February 2011 compared with February 2010, industrial new orders grew by 21.3% in the euro area and by 19.8% in the EU27. Total industry excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment rose by 20.8% and 19.3% respectively.

These estimates are released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Monthly changes

In February 2011 compared with January 2011, new orders for capital goods rose by 3.3% in the euro area and by 3.9% in the EU27. Durable consumer goods increased by 1.9% in the euro area, but dropped by 0.5% in the EU27. Non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.7% in the euro area, but fell by 0.1% in the EU27. Intermediate goods increased by 0.5% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU27.

Among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders rose in thirteen and fell in nine. The highest increases were registered in Denmark (+16.3%), Hungary (+10.9%) and Portugal (+5.4%), and the largest decreases in Romania (-4.7%), Lithuania (-2.7%) and the Czech Republic (-2.1%).

Annual changes

In February 2011 compared with February 2010, new orders for capital goods rose by 25.7% in the euro area and by 24.4% in the EU27. Intermediate goods increased by 22.7% and 20.5% respectively. Durable consumer goods grew by 7.0% in the euro area and by 1.8% in the EU27. Non-durable consumer goods gained 6.8% and 5.6% respectively.

Total manufacturing working on orders rose in all Member States for which data are available. The highest increases were registered in Estonia (+60.1%), Denmark (+57.9%) and Latvia (+56.1%), and the lowest in the United Kingdom (+7.1%), Spain (+10.0%) and the Czech Republic (+12.5%).