Dutch industrial output grows at fastest pace since 2022

Dutch industrial production was 4.7% higher in April than in the same month last year, the strongest year-on-year growth since October 2022, according to national statistics office CBS.

Output rose 1.4% compared with March, once adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects. Around 60% of industrial sectors produced more than a year earlier.

The machinery industry again recorded the biggest increase, with production up 21.6% on April 2025. The chemicals industry posted the largest fall, at 4.1%.

Production has risen in recent months but the CBS said it is too early to say how structural the upward trend is. Dutch industry went through a prolonged slump from mid-2022, and the wider economy barely grew in the first quarter.

Confidence slips

Despite the April figures, producers became more pessimistic in May. The CBS producer confidence index fell from -0.7 in April to -2.0, below its 20-year average of -1.3, with manufacturers mainly less positive about expected activity.

Confidence fell in most sectors. Metal industry firms were the most negative, while producers in the “other industry” category, which includes machine repair and furniture making, were the most upbeat.