Austria Manufacturing Growth Hits Highest Since 2022

The UniCredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI rose to 54.9 in September 2026 from 54.4 in the previous month, reaching its highest level since May 2022 and remaining above the 50 threshold for a seventh consecutive month. The improvement was driven mainly by a steep and accelerated rise in new orders, which grew at the fastest pace since January 2022, supported by stronger export sales, AI-related demand and customers bringing forward purchases. Output also increased for a fifth consecutive month, although growth eased slightly from August’s 55-month high. Meanwhile, employment rose for a second straight month as capacity pressures intensified, while firms ramped up purchasing and inventories. On the price front, input cost inflation accelerated to a three-month high, partly due to higher oil, energy, and transport costs, while output price inflation remained elevated.

The UniCredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI rose to 54.4 in August 2026 from 51.5 in July, reaching its highest level since May 2022 and remaining above the 50 threshold for a sixth consecutive month. Output increased for a fourth straight month at its fastest pace since January 2022, while new orders recorded their strongest expansion in four-and-a-half years, supported by a solid increase in export sales. Meanwhile, manufacturers became more optimistic about the year-ahead outlook, with business confidence reaching its highest level since just before the outbreak of the Middle East war in February. Employment also increased for the first time in more than three years, while backlogs accumulated at the fastest pace since May 2022. On the price front, input cost inflation ticked up for the first time in three months, while output price inflation accelerated but remained below May's recent peak.

The UniCredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI rose to 51.5 in July 2026, picking up from a four-month low of 50.9 in the previous month. It remained above the 50 threshold for a fifth consecutive month, as output expanded at its fastest pace since May 2022. Meanwhile, new orders declined at the slowest pace since January, though export orders continued to weaken amid challenging external market conditions. On the price front, input cost inflation eased to a five-month low but remained elevated relative to its long-run average. Output price inflation also moderated from May's recent peak. Looking ahead, Austrian manufacturers grew more optimistic about the year-ahead outlook. Business confidence rebounded sharply from a one-and-a-half-year low in June to its highest level since just before the outbreak of the Middle East conflict in February, reflecting expectations of stronger demand and improved economic conditions.