Industry - January 2026

Industrial production in January 2026 was in real terms by 2.6% lower, m-o-m. In the year-on-year comparison, it increased by 2.8%. “Industrial production is already increasing for twelve successive months. In January, the growth was the most contributed to by car production, manufacture of fabricated metal products, and electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply. Manufacture of other transport equipment and manufacture of rubber and plastic products also recorded growth,” Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department of the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), says. As for the development of industrial production, the following industries (economic activities) contributed the most in the negative direction: manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products, especially products for construction, manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products, and manufacture of machinery and equipment.

The value of new orders at current prices in surveyed industrial CZ-NACE activities in January 2026 increased by 9.8%, y-o-y. New non-domestic orders increased by 8.9%, y-o-y, domestic new orders recorded growth by 11.4%. In the month-on-month comparison, the value of new orders was by 11.3% lower. “The year-on-year January growth of the value of new industrial orders was mainly owing to manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, especially cars and parts therof. The month-on-month decrease was caused by a high comparison basis in December 2025,” Veronika Doležalová, Head of the Industrial Statistics Unit of the CZSO, says. The most marked decreases in the value of new industrial orders were recorded in manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products, manufacture of machinery and equipment, and manufacture of chemicals and chemical products.

The average registered number of employees in industry decreased by 1.0%, y-o-y, in January 2026.

According to data released by Eurostat, industrial production in the EU27 increased by 1.4%, year-on-year, in December 2025. Industry of Poland and Sweden increased the most (by 6.9% and 4.8%, respectively). Performance of Czech industry increased by 4.9%. German industry decreased by 0.7%. The biggest year-on-year decrease was recorded by Slovakia (by 8.5%). As for economic activities of industry, the highest increase in the EU27 was in manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products (by 12.7%) and the biggest decrease was recorded by manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (by 3.8%). According to a preliminary release calendar, Eurostat will release data for January 2026 on 13 March 2026.