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%).

Chemical production (excluding pharmaceuticals)
(Real change compared with previous year²)

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