Capacity Utilization: Manufacturing

How much of existing factory capacity is in use — above 80% signals tightness and investment pressure.

Exclude COVID

75.6%

Trend YoY growth is +0.3%, accelerating by 3 bps/year over the last 25Y. Deviations have remained below trend for 11 consecutive periods. Latest: +0.2%, 9 bps below trend, a 0.04σ deviation. The latest YoY reading is boosted by 89 bps due to an easy comparison base from May 1.

Level

YoY Change

y = −0.6% + 3 bps/yr · t

Deviation from trend

Forecast

Projected value by forecast vintage (%)

Projected value (%)

Forecast made inOct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26Dec '26Jan '27Feb '27Mar '27Apr '27May '27Jun '27MAPE
Oct '2575.075.676.175.977.077.477.577.678.078.578.678.778.278.278.278.579.179.380.080.282.81052%
Nov '2574.875.875.776.777.177.277.277.678.078.178.277.777.777.777.978.578.779.379.581.7922%
Dec '2574.675.276.276.576.576.576.877.277.377.376.776.776.676.877.377.478.078.179.5613%
Jan '2674.775.976.276.276.176.476.876.876.776.176.075.976.076.576.677.277.378.1415%
Feb '2675.176.075.975.876.076.476.376.375.675.575.475.575.976.076.576.677.0281%
Mar '2675.175.675.475.675.975.975.875.074.974.774.875.275.275.775.775.7100%
Apr '2675.675.475.575.875.775.674.974.774.574.675.075.075.575.575.4100%
May '2675.675.575.875.875.774.974.874.674.675.075.075.575.575.4
Jun '2675.575.875.875.774.974.874.674.675.075.075.575.575.4

YoY change forecast

Forecast made inOct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26Dec '26Jan '27Feb '27Mar '27Apr '27May '27Jun '27MAPE
Oct '25+0.5%+1.0%+1.2%+1.4%+1.6%+1.8%+2.0%+2.2%+2.4%+2.6%+2.8%+3.0%+3.2%+3.4%+3.6%+3.8%+4.0%+4.2%+4.4%+4.6%+4.8%1052%
Nov '25+0.2%+0.9%+1.1%+1.3%+1.5%+1.6%+1.8%+2.0%+2.2%+2.3%+2.5%+2.7%+2.9%+3.0%+3.2%+3.4%+3.6%+3.7%+3.9%+4.1%922%
Dec '25-0.3%+0.6%+0.8%+0.9%+1.0%+1.1%+1.2%+1.4%+1.5%+1.6%+1.7%+1.8%+2.0%+2.1%+2.2%+2.3%+2.4%+2.6%+2.7%613%
Jan '26+0.1%+0.5%+0.6%+0.6%+0.7%+0.8%+0.9%+1.0%+1.0%+1.1%+1.2%+1.3%+1.4%+1.4%+1.5%+1.6%+1.7%+1.8%415%
Feb '26-0.3%+0.3%+0.4%+0.4%+0.4%+0.5%+0.5%+0.6%+0.6%+0.7%+0.7%+0.8%+0.8%+0.9%+0.9%+1.0%+1.0%281%
Mar '26-0.5%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%100%
Apr '26+0.1%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%100%
May '26+0.2%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%
Jun '26+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%

Forecasts use ordinary least-squares linear regression fitted to the YoY change series over a rolling 1Y window. Each row shows a vintage — the forecast as it would have appeared at that point in time. Projected values apply the forecasted YoY change to the prior year's level, chaining forward where actuals are unavailable. MAPE measures forecast accuracy against realized values. These are mechanical trend extrapolations, not economic models.