Updated Industry Trends Data Available

As many of you may know, the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) is the leading source of hydraulic and pneumatic industry data. Members get and use our data in a variety of ways to run their businesses. Part of our market information services is providing overall industry trends. Here is the latest update:

Hydraulic and Pneumatic Shipments

Graph #1 Hydraulic and Pneumatic Shipments Industry Trends

This graph of raw index data is generated by the total dollar volume reported to NFPA by CSS participants and compared to the average monthly dollar volume in 2018. For example, the February 2021 total dollar volume for pneumatic shipments are 96.9% of the average monthly dollar volume in 2018. (Base Year 2018 = 100)

Pneumatic, Mobile and Industrial Hydraulic Orders Index

Graph #2 Pneumatic, Mobile, and Industrial Orders Indexes Industry Trends

Each point on this graph represents the most recent 12 months of orders compared to the previous 12 months of orders. Each point can be read as a percentage. For example, 75.2 (the January 2021 level of the industrial hydraulic series) indicates that industrial hydraulic orders received from February 2020 to January 2021 were 75.2% of the orders received from February 2019 to January 2020. (Base Year 2018 = 100)

Total Hydraulic and Pneumatic Shipments

Graph #3 Total Hydraulic and Pneumatic Shipments

This graph of 12‐month moving averages shows that in February 2021, hydraulic shipments decreased and pneumatic shipments increased. (Base Year 2018 = 100)

Shipments – Cumulative year-to-date % change (2021 vs. 2020)

Shipments – Cumulative year‐to ‐date % change Industry Trends

*Preliminary data subject to revision.
The table above is expressed in terms of cumulative percent changes. These changes refer to the percent difference between the relevant cumulative total for 2021 and the total for the same months in 2020. For example, February 2021 pneumatic shipments figure of 2.8 means that for the calendar year through February 2021, pneumatic shipments increased 2.8% compared to the same time‐period in 2020.

Fluid Power Industry Growth Trend

The latest data published by the National Fluid Power Association shows industry shipments of fluid power products for February 2021 decreased 8.6% when compared to February 2020 and increased 3.0% when compared to last month. Mobile hydraulic and industrial hydraulic shipments decreased and pneumatic shipments increased in February 2021 when compared to February 2020. Mobile hydraulic, industrial hydraulic and pneumatic shipments increased when compared to last month. These charts are drawn from data collected from more than 80 manufacturers of fluid power products in NFPA’s Confidential Shipment Statistics (CSS) program. Much more information is available to NFPA members, which allows them to better understand trends and anticipate change in their market and the customer markets they serve.

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