In February 2026, the seasonally adjusted business climate in the German printing and media industry improved. The seasonally adjusted business climate index calculated by the BVDM showed an increase of 1.1 per cent compared to the previous month and was thus around 2.8 per cent higher than in the same month last year. While companies rated the current business situation better than in January, expectations for the next six months clouded over slightly.
In February 2026, the decision-makers surveyed by the ifo Institute rated their current business situation better than in the previous month. On the other hand, assessments for the next six months are somewhat more pessimistic.
The seasonally and calendar-adjusted business situation index recorded growth in February 2026 compared with the previous month, rising around 3.4 per cent above the January 2026 figure and around 3.0 per cent above the corresponding level for the previous year. Twelve per cent of the companies surveyed assessed their current business situation as positive, 26 per cent as negative, while 62 per cent considered it satisfactory. The seasonally adjusted balance improved by 6 percentage points from -25 to -19 points. Nevertheless, the business and order situation remains tense. Only 6 per cent of companies rated their order books positively, while 48 per cent gave a negative assessment. 46 per cent rated their order situation as neutral.
The business expectations of companies in the printing and media industry for the coming six months deteriorated slightly in February 2026. The seasonally adjusted index of business expectations fell by 1.1 per cent compared with the previous month to 92.8 points. Nevertheless, this figure is 2.5 per cent above the level of the same month last year. 12.5 per cent of companies expect the business situation to improve, while 28.5 per cent anticipate a downturn. 59 per cent of those surveyed expect business to remain unchanged over the next six months.
BVDM
The German Printing and Media Association (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.
