Germany was responsible for 25% of all closed capacity in the EU, which is equivalent to a loss of 8.8 million tons of annual output (mainly in upstream petrochemicals, base polymers and inorganics). By mid-2026, the decline continued for the third year in a row. Production volumes in Germany's chemical sector in the first half of 2026 decreased by an additional 3% (and in the petrochemical sector by 5.5%) compared to the corresponding period last year. Utilization of survival capacity in German factories has dropped to a critical level of 72% (when the norm is above 82-85%), and the sector has lost more than 34 thousand jobs in recent years.

Germany was responsible for 25% of all closed capacity in the EU, which is equivalent to a loss of 8.8 million tons of annual output (mainly in upstream petrochemicals, base polymers and inorganics). By mid-2026, the decline continued for the third year in a row. Production volumes in Germany's chemical sector in the first half of 2026 decreased by an additional 3% (and in the petrochemical sector by 5.5%) compared to the corresponding period last year. Utilization of survival capacity in German factories has dropped to a critical level of 72% (when the norm is above 82-85%), and the sector has lost more than 34 thousand jobs in recent years.