Dutch Industrial Output Growth Hits 5-Month High

Manufacturing production in the Netherlands fell 1.3% month-on-month in February 2026, following a 0.4% rise in January, marking the lowest reading since September 2024. Output declined for food (-2.8% vs 4.9% in January), wood (-6.4% vs 4.3%), paper (-4% vs 8%), pharmaceuticals (-8.4% vs 17%), and metal products (-2.6% vs 0.2%). At the same time, output growth slowed for electrical appliances (1% vs 5.3%), machine (0.4% vs 2.9%), and graphic (6.4% vs 7.3%). On the other hand, activity recovered for basic metals (7.6% vs -13.8%) and textiles (0.6% vs -0.8%). On an annual basis, manufacturing output dropped 0.7% from a 1.1% growth in the previous month.

Manufacturing production in the Netherlands rose 0.4% month-on-month in January 2026, following a downwardly revised 0.3% rise in the previous month. This marked the highest reading since August 2025, as output recovered for food (5.3% vs -3.3% in December 2025), leather and shoes (6.8% vs -8.3%), wood (4.1% vs -1%), paper (6.5% vs -4.6%), furniture (4.9% vs -4.1%), and pharmaceuticals (23.8% vs -18.5%). At the same time, activity declined at a softer pace for textiles (-1.1% vs -1.8%) and chemicals (-1.8% vs -4.6%). Meanwhile, output contracted for petroleum (-4.5% vs 2.4%), rubbers and plastics (-1.5% vs 0.5%), machinery (-4.1% vs 9.1%), and basic metals (-14% vs 12.8%). On an annual basis, manufacturing output grew by 1.1% in January, easing from an upwardly revised 1.4% in the preceding period.

Manufacturing production in the Netherlands rose by 0.5% month-on-month in December 2025, after an upwardly revised 1% drop in November. Output rebounded for basic metal (13.6% vs -9.9% in November), machine (9.1% vs -0.9%), petroleum (0.8% vs -2.1%), rubber and plastics (1% vs -1.3%), and metal products (0.6% vs -2.2%). However, growth slowed sharply in the automotive and trailer segment (1.3% vs 9.8%), while the most significant declines were recorded in pharmaceuticals (-19.1% vs -9%) and leather and footwear (-8.2% vs -4.9%). On an annual basis, manufacturing output increased by 1.3% in December, following a downwardly revised 0.4% gain in the previous month. The strongest yearly growth was seen in the machinery industry (11.3% vs 1.1%), while the chemical sector had the biggest fall (-3.1% vs 0%).