Order backlog in Germany rises to record level

Compared to the same month last year, the order backlog rose by 10.9 percent. The order backlog in companies has already tended to grow in recent months.

Auto industry still in the red

According to the Federal Office, the range for the order backlog increased to nine months. This is the highest value since data collection began in 2015. The range indicates how many months the companies would have to produce to process their orders with constant sales.

The positive development was particularly supported by the increase in “other vehicle construction”. These include planes, ships, trains and military vehicles. Many new orders have recently been received here and the production time is comparatively long, as the statisticians explained. Government spending on armaments may also have played a role in the increase in other vehicle construction. A slight increase in mechanical engineering also had a positive effect, while the order backlog in the automotive industry fell.

“Because of the fiscal package, the sun is shining when it comes to the order situation,” said the chief economist at Bank Bethmann HAL, Alexander Krüger, to the Reuters news agency. He referred to government investments in infrastructure and security. A lot will depend on whether companies are now making greater use of their capacities: "The arms industry could also provide the impetus for more production in other areas," says the expert.

Rising exports and government spending of billions have prompted leading institutes to raise their forecasts for the German economy. The Ifo Institute, for example, expects growth of 1.4 percent for 2026. In 2025, the gross domestic product had only increased by 0.2 percent; the economy had shrunk in the two previous years.