While overall production strengthened, growth remained uneven across industrial segments. Output increased in nearly 40% of the underlying manufacturing sectors compared with May 2025. Among the country’s eight largest industrial sectors, the machinery industry recorded the strongest annual growth, whereas the chemical and transport equipment sectors registered the sharpest declines.

On a month-on-month basis, seasonally and working-day adjusted manufacturing output increased by 0.1% in May compared with April. Statistics Netherlands noted that although monthly adjusted output can fluctuate, manufacturing production has shown an upward trend over the past three months.

Business sentiment also improved significantly during the period. Manufacturing producer confidence rose from -2.0 in May to 1.3 in June, marking its highest level in nearly four years and exceeding the long-term 20-year average of -1.4.

The improvement was driven primarily by manufacturers becoming more optimistic about production prospects over the next three months. Confidence strengthened across most industrial sectors, with the electronics and machinery industries recording the largest gains. The machinery sector also posted the highest confidence reading at 9.7.

For textile, apparel and retail sourcing businesses monitoring European supply chains, the latest figures indicate an improving manufacturing environment supported by stronger business confidence. However, the uneven performance across industries suggests that recovery remains sector-specific despite the overall positive momentum.