The final IHS Markit/BME Germany Manufacturing PMI - a single-figure snapshot of the performance of the manufacturing economy - registered 61.1 in January, down from a surveyrecord high of 63.3 in December but still signalling one the greatest improvements in overall business conditions since the survey began in 1996.

Although easing to a three-month low in January, the rate of output growth at German factories remained strong and faster than at any other time since April 2011. Furthermore, there were sharp increases in overall production levels across each of the three main industry groupings covered by the survey: consumer, intermediate and investment.