In December 2025, the seasonally adjusted business climate in the German printing and media industry deteriorated. The business climate index calculated by the BVDM showed a decline compared to the previous month and, at 86.3 points, was below the level of the same month last year. While companies rated the current business situation slightly better than in November, their assessments for the next six months were pessimistic.
The current and expected business situation determine the development of the business climate, which is a good leading indicator for production development in the printing and media industry.
The proportion of companies with a positive assessment of their current situation deteriorated slightly by one percentage point. The proportion of companies with a negative assessment of their business situation fell from 35 per cent to 30 per cent, while the proportion of neutral assessments rose from 52 per cent to 58 per cent. Assessments of the current order backlog remain negative. Only 12 per cent of the companies surveyed assess their order books positively, while 44 per cent give a neutral assessment and 44 per cent a negative assessment. The resulting balance represents a slight improvement on the previous month. Nevertheless, the continuing negative development of the business situation shows that the situation in the printing and media companies remains tense.
The business expectations of companies in the printing and media industry for the coming six months deteriorated again in December 2025 for the first time in three months. Only five per cent of the companies surveyed expect the business situation to improve, while 44 per cent anticipate a deterioration. Fifty-one per cent of the companies surveyed expect business development to remain unchanged over the next six months.
BVDM
The Federal Association of the Printing and Media Industry (BVDM) is the umbrella organisation for the German printing industry. As an employers’ association, political trade association and technical association, it represents the positions and objectives of the printing industry vis-à-vis politicians, administrators, trade unions and the supply industry. The BVDM is supported by eight regional associations. Internationally, it is organised through its membership of Intergraf and FESPA. The printing industry currently comprises around 6,300 predominantly small and medium-sized companies with more than 99,000 employees subject to social insurance contributions.
