While the first Corona year 2020 was still characterized by significant declines in orders, machine manufacturers were able to fill their order books again in 2021. Domestic orders increased by 18 percent and those from abroad by 39 percent. Adjusted for prices, order intake thus exceeded the high level of the economically good year 2018 by 7 percent.

This substantial increase in orders "provides security, even if the existing supply bottlenecks will continue for quite some time and make it difficult to process the orders," summarizes VDMA economic expert Olaf Wortmann.

Orders up 21 percent in December 2021 and the fourth quarter

In December 2021, mechanical engineering companies recorded a 21 percent increase in orders. "This is particularly pleasing, as the order level in December 2020 was already quite high," Wortmann explains. Domestic orders rose by 15 percent in the reporting month, while orders from abroad increased by 24 percent. There was a 15 percent increase in orders from euro countries and a 28 percent increase in orders from non-euro countries.

For the fourth quarter of 2021 as a whole, orders were thus up 21 percent year-on-year. Domestic orders increased by 14 percent, and there were 24 percent more orders from abroad. Euro countries increased their orders by 28 percent in this period, and non-euro countries by 23 percent.