Germany's Federal Statistical Office announced that the raw steel production in metallurgical plants declined by 53.1% YoY to 1.88 million tones in April 2009 as compared with a 49.8% fall in March 2009. At the same time, pig iron production dropped by 56.8% to 1.06 million tonnes, after falling 50.3% in March 2009.

Destatis in a statement said that “There has not been such a strong decrease since the federal republic was founded [in 1949.”

News magazine Der Spiegel reported that the disastrous numbers are due to the dramatic decrease in the auto and manufacturing industries after the worldwide financial crisis.