According to the latest data from Statistics Poland (GUS), sold industrial production in September 2025 was 7.4% higher than a year earlier, and up as much as 16% compared to August. It was one of the strongest months for the sector this year, confirming that the industry has regained momentum after the summer slowdown.
After seasonal adjustment, industrial processing output increased by 8.2% year-on-year. The improvement was driven by both a higher number of working days (22 versus 21 a year earlier) and growing export demand — particularly in the automotive sector and electrical equipment manufacturing.
The strongest increases were recorded in:
- Tobacco products (+29.5%)
- Apparel manufacturing (+14.2%)
- Food products (+9.1%)
These are sectors that traditionally benefit from autumn demand and pre-holiday production cycles for domestic consumption. A noticeable recovery was also observed in paper and wood products, signaling a potential rebound in packaging and construction-related demand.
The only major laggard was mining, which posted a 1.5% year-on-year decline — a result of lower demand for energy commodities, especially from the energy sector and heavy industry.
Economists note that September’s strong result was partly influenced by post-summer fulfillment of backlogged orders and improving sentiment in the euro area. Many companies reported a renewed inflow of export orders, particularly in higher value-added segments.
Cautious Optimism Heading into Year-End
The +7.4% year-on-year result suggests that industrial production may have contributed positively to GDP growth in Q3. However, analysts caution that the coming months could be more challenging, as one-off factors fade and demand uncertainty rises among international trading partners.
Still, one conclusion is clear:
Polish industry is definitively back in positive territory — and notably stronger than in previous months.
