Dutch industries saw turnover fall by 0.7% in the second quarter of 2025, mainly as a result of a drop in domestic demand, figures from the statistics agency CBS show.

Sales in the Netherlands were down by 1.9% year on year, continuing a trend that has been ongoing for two years, while overseas sales declined by a marginal 0.1%.

In the first three months of the year turnover increased by 2.8% but domestic sales flatlined while international sales were up by 4.5%. The last time sales were higher in the Netherlands was the first quarter of 2023, when they were up by 7.8%.

There were wide contrasts between sectors in the latest figures, with food, alchohol and tobacco sales enjoying a 7.5% increase while chemicals and refineries were down by 12.1%, mainly because of a 19.4% fall in crude oil prices.

Electronics and machinery also recorded strong growth of 3.9% year on year.

The outlook remains gloomy, with companies reporting a decline in profits outnumbering those who saw an improvement for the 14th quarter in a row. Three in 10 business owners said the shortage of suitable personnel was holding them back, while a quarter blamed low consumer demand.

However, fewer business failures were recorded in the period, with 74 companies being declared bankrupt compared to 84 in the previous quarter and 87 in the equivalent period last year.