In November 2025, the seasonally adjusted business climate in the German printing and media industry remained virtually unchanged. While companies rated the current business situation as worse than in October, expectations for the coming six months improved. This positive development in business expectations contributed significantly to the stabilisation of the business climate index.
The characteristics of 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 seasonally adjusted business situation index was just under one per cent lower in November than in the previous month. This development is attributable to a change in companies’ assessment of the situation. The proportion of companies with a positive assessment of their current situation improved. The proportion of companies with a negative assessment of their business situation decreased, while the proportion of neutral assessments fell slightly.
The assessments of the order backlog are predominantly negative. Only seven percent of the companies surveyed rate their order backlog as positive, while 53 percent give a neutral assessment and 40 percent a negative assessment. The continuing negative development of the business situation shows that the situation in the printing and media companies remains tense. Eight percent of the companies surveyed expect the business situation to improve, while 33 percent anticipate a deterioration. Fifty-nine percent of the companies surveyed expect business development to remain unchanged in 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 trade association, it represents the positions and goals of the printing industry vis-à-vis politicians, administrators, trade unions and the supplier industry. The BVDM is supported by eight regional associations. Internationally, it is organised through its membership in 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.
