In February 2025, the seasonally adjusted business climate in the German print and media industry improved, returning to the level seen at the end of 2024. While the business outlook for the next six months remained virtually unchanged with a slight decline, the current business situation assessment was more positive than in January. The business climate index calculated by the German Printing and Media Industries Federation recorded a seasonally adjusted increase of 1.8 per cent compared to the previous month.
In February 2025, the decision-makers surveyed by the ifo Institute assessed their current business situation as better than in the previous month. Assessments with regard to the next 6 months were only slightly more pessimistic than in the previous month.
In February 2025, the seasonally adjusted business situation index recorded a significant increase compared to the start of the year. At 85.8 points, the index was around 4.2 per cent higher than in January. It should be noted that the business situation index was at a 5-year low in February 2024. At around 10 per cent positive, 59 per cent neutral and 31 per cent negative, the assessment of the situation on the shop floors of print and media companies is subdued despite the improvement. The assessment of the order situation is also clearly negative with a balance of -45 percentage points, although this represents an improvement compared to the previous year. Only the development of demand in the previous month showed a cautiously positive trend and, with a slightly positive balance, was better than in the previous year.
Companies are slightly less pessimistic about their business development over the next six months than they are about their current situation. Around 75 per cent of companies are forecasting stable business development, while 22 per cent expect a deterioration and 3 per cent an improvement.
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.
