German manufacturers enjoyed a positive start to 2017, with output, new orders and employment all rising at improved rates. As a result, overall operating conditions strengthened substantially. This was signalled by the seasonally adjusted Markit/BME Germany Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index® (PMI® ) - a single-figure snapshot of the performance of the manufacturing economy - climbing to a three-year high of 56.4 in January. The acceleration in growth continued a trend observed at the end of 2016 - the index had reached a 35-month peak in December (55.6).

Commenting on the final Markit/BME Germany Manufacturing PMI® survey data, Philip Leake, Economist at IHS Markit said: "Germany's manufacturing sector started 2017 in much the same way that it finished 2016, with growth accelerating. In fact, operating conditions improved to the greatest extent in three years, underpinned by marked expansions of both output and new work. The sector's impressive performance bodes well for GDP growth in the first quarter, building on the strongest expansion in five years across 2016 as a whole (based on an initial estimate of 1.9% from the Federal Statistics Office)".