The seasonally adjusted business climate in the German print and media industry deteriorated in August 2025. The seasonally adjusted business climate index calculated by the BVDM showed a decline of 4.5 per cent compared to the previous month.
The development of the business climate, which is a good leading indicator for production development in the print and media industry, is determined by the current and expected business situation. The decision-makers at print and media companies surveyed by the ifo Institute assessed their current business situation as worse than in the previous month and their assessments for the next six months remained pessimistic.
The seasonally adjusted business situation index deteriorated in August and is attributable to a decline in companies’ assessments of their current situation. Although the proportion of companies with a positive assessment of their current situation increased compared to the same month last year, the proportion of companies with a negative assessment of their business situation deteriorated significantly. A look at the assessment of the order backlog shows that only 4 per cent of the companies surveyed gave a positive assessment of their order backlog. 51 per cent gave a neutral assessment and 46 per cent a negative one.
The business expectations of companies in the print and media industry for the coming six months deteriorated further in August. The seasonally adjusted index of business expectations fell by six per cent compared to the previous month and, at 21 per cent, is significantly below the level of the same month last year. Just over half of the companies surveyed expect business development to remain the same over the next six months. Around six per cent expect the business situation to improve, while 38 per cent anticipate a deterioration.
BVDM
The Bundesverband Druck und Medien e. V. (BVDM) is the umbrella organisation of the German printing industry. As an employers’ organisation, political business association and technical trade association, it represents the positions and objectives of the printing industry vis-à-vis politicians, administration, trade unions and the supplier 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 security contributions.
