Thursday, 16 July 2026
New industrial orders in Slovakia declined for the eighth consecutive month in May 2026, although the pace of contraction eased compared with April, according to preliminary data released by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic.
Industrial new orders totalled €5.72 billion in May, representing a 3.4% year-on-year decline. While this marked a smaller decrease than in the previous month, it remained the fourth-largest annual drop recorded during the current eight-month period of declining order volumes.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, new orders increased by 1.9% compared with April 2026, indicating a modest month-on-month recovery despite the continuing annual weakness.
Seven of the twelve industrial sectors monitored by the statistical office recorded lower new orders than a year earlier. The largest negative contribution came from the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products, where new orders fell 57.9% year-on-year. Other notable declines were recorded in the manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products, down 5.8%, and the manufacture of electrical equipment, which declined 9.6%.
Growth was concentrated in a smaller number of industries. The manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. recorded a 10.5% increase in new orders, while chemical and chemical products grew by 4.0%. The strongest percentage increase was reported by the manufacture of wearing apparel, where new orders rose 26.2% compared with May 2025.
The latest figures suggest that Slovakia’s industrial sector continues to face uneven demand across manufacturing industries, with gains in selected sectors insufficient to offset broader weakness in export-oriented manufacturing.
