Trends in the chemical industry

  • Global growth corresponds to our expectations

The chemical industry (excluding pharmaceuticals) grew at the rate we had anticipated, by 3.4%. The fastest growth was seen in chemical production in the emerging markets of Asia (2016: +6.3%, 2015: +6.6%). Chemical production increased only marginally in the European Union (2016: +0.4%, 2015: +0.9%). There were substantial regional differences. Production fell considerably in Belgium and the United Kingdom, while the Netherlands saw a sharp increase. Chemical production declined slightly in Germany. Growth in the United States was weaker than in the previous year (2016: +0.6%, 2015: +1.9%1). Thanks to significant production expansion in Mexico, overall growth for North America shrank at a slower rate (2016: +0.9%, 2015: +1.8%). South America saw a marginal decline in chemical production (2016: −0.8 %, 2015: −3.8 %). Production volumes grew slightly in Japan, at 1.5% (2015: +1.6%).

1 This figure deviates significantly from last year’s report due to statistical revisions.

Chemical production (excluding pharmaceuticals)
(Real change compared with previous year2)
Chemical production (excluding pharmaceuticals), Real change compared with previous year (bar chart)

2 Figures that refer to previous years may deviate from last year’s report due to statistical revisions.