Industry - March 2026

Industrial production was in real terms by 0.2% lower, m-o-m, in March 2026. In the year-on-year comparison, it increased by 0.9%. “In March, industrial production growth decelerated. It was kept in black numbers mainly by manufacture of fabricated metal products, in which the growth was mainly supported by supplies for the energy sector and for car production. Also manufacture of other transport equipment, especially rail vehicles, significantly contributed to the growth,” Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department of the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), says. Production further increased in chemical industry and also in manufacture of food products or manufacture of beverages, in which, however, an influence of a lower comparison basis was reflected. On the other hand, a high comparison basis was behind a decrease in production in repair and installation of machinery and equipment.

The value of new orders at current prices in surveyed industrial CZ-NACE activities in March 2026 increased by 1.2%, y-o-y. New non-domestic orders increased by 2.5%, year-on-year. Domestic new orders recorded a decrease by 1.1%. In the month-on-month comparison, the value of new orders was by 0.9% higher. “The value of new orders in industry increased especially in manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers. An increase was also recorded by manufacture of fabricated metal products and by manufacture of electrical equipment,” Veronika Doležalová, Head of the Industrial Statistics Unit of the CZSO, says. As for the development of the value of new orders, the following industries (economic activities) contributed the most in the negative direction: manufacture of machinery and equipment and manufacture of other transport equipment. Manufacture of paper and paper products copes with a longterm decrease in orders and orders decreased, year-on-year, also in pharmaceutical industry and in manufacture of wearing apparel.

The average registered number of employees in industry decreased by 1.1%, y-o-y, in March 2026.

According to data released by Eurostat, industrial production in the EU27 decreased by 0.1%, year-on-year, in February 2026. The biggest year-on-year decrease was recorded by Luxembourg (by 17.0%) and Ireland (by 10.0%). Industry of Sweden and Belgium increased the most (by 7.7% and 7.4%, respectively). German industry increased by 0.3%. Performance of Czech industry increased by 1.3%. As for economic activities of industry in the EU27, manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations decreased (by 8.8%); the highest increase was recorded by manufacture of other transport equipment (by 10.0%). According to a preliminary release calendar, Eurostat will release data for March 2026 on 13 May 2026.

For more detailed information on the development of industrial production in the first quarter of 2026, see the supplementary information to the news release on industry.