In December 2011 compared with November 2011, the euro area (EA17) industrial new orders index rose by 1.9%, after a fall of 1.1% in November. In the EU27 new orders increased by 1.3% in December 2011, after a decrease of 1.2% in November. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment4, for which changes tend to be more volatile, industrial new orders gained 2.5% in the euro area and 2.6% in the EU27.

In December 2011 compared with December 2010, industrial new orders decreased by 1.7% in both zones. Total industry excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment fell by 0.8% in the euro area, but rose by 0.9% in the EU27.

Compared with 2010, the average new orders index for 2011 increased by 8.3% in the euro area and by 7.6% in the EU27.

Monthly comparison

In December 2011 compared with November 2011, new orders for capital goods increased by 4.2% in the euro area and by 1.7% in the EU27. Intermediate goods rose by 1.5% and 1.9% respectively. Non-durable consumer goods increased by 0.1% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU27. Durable consumer goods fell by 2.7% and 0.1% respectively.

Among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders rose in nine and fell in thirteen. The highest increases were registered in Denmark (+19.4%), Sweden (+10.4%) and Italy (+8.0%), and the largest decreases in Hungary (-14.8%), Slovenia (-4.2%), the Netherlands and Portugal (both -2.5%).

Annual comparison

In December 2011 compared with December 2010, new orders for durable consumer goods dropped by 5.2% in the euro area and by 4.2% in the EU27. Capital goods fell by 2.5% and 3.5% respectively. Intermediate goods decreased by 1.5% in the euro area, but increased by 0.6% in the EU27. Non-durable consumer goods rose by 1.6% and 2.9% respectively.

Among the Member States for which data are available, total manufacturing working on orders fell in eleven and rose in eleven. The largest decreases were registered in Estonia (-27.4%), the Netherlands (-12.7%) and the United Kingdom (-10.5%), and the highest increases in Latvia (+40.0%), Denmark (+23.8%) and Bulgaria (+15.5%).