THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

Background: As Europe's largest economy and second most-populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating world wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key western economic and security organizations, including the EC (now the EU) and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War allowed German reunification to occur in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

Location: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates: 51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 357,022 sq km
land: 348,672 sq km
water: 8,350 sq km
Area - comparative: three times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total: 3,694 km
border countries: Austria 801 km; Belgium 133 km; Czechia 704 km; Denmark 140 km; France 418 km; Luxembourg 128 km; Netherlands 575 km; Poland 447 km; Switzerland 348 km
Coastline: 2,389 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Elevation: highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m
lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.5 m
mean elevation: 263 m
Natural resources: coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Land use: agricultural land: 47.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 33.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 13.5% (2023 est.)
forest: 32.8% (2023 est.)
other: 15% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 5,065 sq km (2020)
Major lakes (area sq km): fresh water lake(s): Lake Constance (shared with Switzerland and Austria) - 540 sq km
salt water lake(s): Stettiner Haff/Zalew Szczecinski (shared with Poland) - 900 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km): Donau (Danube) river source (shared with Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Elbe river mouth (shared with Czechia [s]) - 1,252 km; Rhein (Rhine) (shared with Switzerland [s], France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Population distribution: second most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far-western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia
Natural hazards: flooding
Geography - note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea; most major rivers in Germany -- the Rhine, Weser, Oder, Elbe -- flow northward; the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest, flows eastward

Population: total: 84,012,284 (2025 est.)
male: 41,517,301
female: 42,494,983
Nationality: noun: German(s)
adjective: German
Ethnic groups: German 85.4%, Turkish 1.8%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Syrian 1.1%, Romanian 1%, Poland 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.3% (2022 est.)
Languages: Languages: German (official); note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages; Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages
major-language sample(s): Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Roman Catholic 24.8%, Protestant 22.6%, Muslim 3.7%, other 5.1%, none 43.8% (2022 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 13.8% (male 5,925,800/female 5,688,603)
15-64 years: 62.5% (male 26,705,657/female 25,875,865)
65 years and over: 23.7% (2024 est.) (male 8,941,245/female 10,981,930)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 61.3 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 22.4 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 38.9 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 2.6 (2025 est.)
Median age: total: 46.9 years (2025 est.)
male: 45.5 years
female: 48.3 years
Population growth rate: -0.13% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 8.87 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 11.96 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution: second most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far-western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia
Urbanization: urban population: 77.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 3.574 million BERLIN (capital), 1.788 million Hamburg, 1.576 million Munich, 1.144 million Cologne, 796,000 Frankfurt (2023)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 29.9 years (2020 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 79.6 years
female: 84.4 years
Total fertility rate: 1.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.77 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 12.7% of GDP (2022)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 20.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density: 4.53 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density: 7.8 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 22.3% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: total: 10.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 5.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 3.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use: total: 17.2% (2025 est.)
male: 19.4% (2025 est.)
female: 15% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.6% (2016 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 54.4% (2023 est.)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 10.7% national budget (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 17 years (2023 est.)
male: 17 years (2023 est.)
female: 17 years (2023 est.)

Environmental issues: air pollution and acid rain from coal-burning utilities and industries; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial effluents; hazardous waste disposal
International environmental agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Land use: agricultural land: 47.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 33.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 13.5% (2023 est.)
forest: 32.8% (2023 est.)
other: 15% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 77.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 600.192 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 163.407 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 277.688 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 159.097 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 10.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Methane emissions: energy: 476.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture: 1,197.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste: 459 kt (2019-2021 est.)
other: 110 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 50.628 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 49.8% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 10.713 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial: 14.005 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural: 1.075 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 154 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Geoparks: total global geoparks and regional networks: 8
global geoparks and regional networks: Bergstraße-Odenwald ; Harz, Braunschweiger Land; Swabian Alb; TERRA.vita; Vulkaneifel; Thuringia Inselsberg -Drei Gleichen; Muskauer Faltenbogen / Łuk Mużakowa (includes Poland); Ries (2023)

Country name: conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form: Germany
local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
local short form: Deutschland
former: German Reich
etymology: the origin of the name is unclear; it may come from Celtic words meaning "neighboring people," or it may derive from Germanic words meaning either "spear man" or "head man;" the native designation "Deutsch" comes from the Old High German "diutisc" meaning "national"
Government type: federal parliamentary republic
Capital: name: Berlin
geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: the origin of the name is unclear but may be related to the Old Slavic (Polabian) word berl or birl, meaning "swamp" and referring to the original settlement site by the Spree River
Administrative divisions: 16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen (Hesse), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia)
Legal system: civil law system
Constitution: history: previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949
amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage and enactment into law require two-thirds majority vote by both the Bundesrat (upper house) and the Bundestag (lower house) of Parliament; articles including those on basic human rights and freedoms cannot be amended
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a German citizen or a resident alien who has lived in Germany at least 8 years
dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission from government
residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; age 16 for some state and municipal elections
Executive branch: chief of state: President Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (since 19 March 2017)
head of government: Chancellor Friedrich MERZ (since 6 May 2025)
cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) recommended by the chancellor, appointed by the president
election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by a Federal Convention consisting of all members of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equivalent number of delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); following the most recent Federal Parliament election, the party or coalition with the most representatives usually elects the chancellor, who is appointed by the president to serve a renewable 4-year term
most recent election date: president: 13 February 2022chancellor: 6 May 2025
election results: 2025: Friedrich MERZ (CDU) elected chancellor in second round; Federal Parliament vote - 325 to 2892022: Frank-Walter STEINMEIER reelected president; Federal Convention vote count - Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (SPD) 1,045, Max OTTE (CDU) 140, Gerhard TRABERT (The Left) 96, Stefanie GEBAUER (Free Voters) 58, abstentions 86
expected date of next election: president: February 2027
Legislative branch: legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name: German Bundestag (Deutscher Bundestag)
number of seats: 630 (all directly elected)
electoral system: mixed system
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 2/23/2025
parties elected and seats per party: Christian Democratic Union (CDU) (164); Alternative for Germany (AfD) (152); Social Democratic Party (SPD) (120); Green Party (85); Left Party (Die Linke) (64); Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) (44); Other (1)
percentage of women in chamber: 32.4%
expected date of next election: February 2029
Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name: Federal Council (Bundesrat)
number of seats: 69 (all appointed)
parties elected and seats per party: SPD 23; CDU 17; Green Party 15; Left Party 4; CSU 3; FW 3; FDP 2; other 2
percentage of women in chamber: 34.8%
Judicial branch: highest court(s): Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges; organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; half of Federal Constitutional Court judges are elected by the House of Representatives and half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg -- the Stuttgart Commercial Court and the Mannheim Commercial Court
Political parties: Alliance '90/Greens Alternative for Germany or AfD Christian Democratic Union or CDU Christian Social Union or CSU Free Democratic Party or FDP Free Voters or FWThe Left or Die Linke Social Democratic Party or SPD
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jens HANEFELD (since 5 September 2025)
chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000
FAX: [1] (202) 298-4261
email address and website: info@washington.diplo.dehttps://www.germany.info/us-en
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Alan MELTZER (since July 2024)
embassy: Pariser Platz 2, 10117 BerlinClayallee 170, 14191 Berlin (administrative services)
mailing address: 5090 Berlin Place, Washington DC 20521-5090
telephone: [49] (30) 8305-0
FAX: [49] (30) 8305-1215
email address and website: BerlinPCO@state.govhttps://de.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Independence: 18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 after World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990, with all four powers formally relinquishing rights on 15 March 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)
National holiday: German Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Flag: description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and goldhistory: the colors can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor -- a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field
National symbol(s): eagle
National color(s): black, red, yellow
National coat of arms: Germany’s coat of arms is the world’s oldest, said to date back to 1200, and uses the country’s national colors; it features the oldest European national symbol, an eagle known as the Bundesadler (Federal Eagle); the coat of arms has varied over time for military or political reasons, but the eagle has always been part of the design; the Federal Republic of Germany adopted this version in 1950
National anthem(s): title: “Lied der Deutschen”(Song of the Germans)
lyrics/music: August Heinrich HOFFMANN VON FALLERSLEBEN/Franz Joseph HAYDN
history: first adopted 1922; the anthem, also known as "Deutschlandlied" (Song of Germany), was originally adopted for its connection to the March 1848 liberal revolution; the Nazis later appropriated the first verse -- specifically the phrase "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles" (Germany, Germany above all) -- to promote nationalism, and the anthem was banned after 1945; in 1952, West Germany adopted the third verse as its national anthem; in 1990, it became the national anthem for the reunited Germany
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 56 (54 cultural, 2 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin (c); Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (c); Speyer Cathedral (c); Aachen Cathedral (c); Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau, and Bernau (c); Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura (c); Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter, and Church of Our Lady in Trier (c); Hanseatic City of Lübeck (c); Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof (c); Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square (c); Pilgrimage Church of Wies (c); Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl (c); St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim (c); Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch (c); Maulbronn Monastery Complex (c); Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg (c); Cologne Cathedral (c); Castle Church in Wittenberg (c); Classical Weimar (c); Wartburg Castle (c); Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz (c); Monastic Island of Reichenau (c); Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (c); Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (c); Moravian Church Settlements (c); Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus (c); The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (c); Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke (c); Naumburg Cathedral (c); Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt (c); ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz (c); The Great Spa Towns of Europe (c); Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt (c); Schwerin Residence Ensemble (c); The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee (c); The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee (c)

Economic overview: leading export-driven, core EU and eurozone economy; key automotive, chemical, engineering, finance, and green energy industries; growth stalled by energy crisis and declining exports; tight labor market with falling working-age population; fiscal rebalancing with phaseout of energy price supports
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $5.247 trillion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $5.26 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $5.274 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: -0.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: -0.3% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 1.4% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $62,800 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $62,700 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $62,900 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $4.66 trillion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.3% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 5.9% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 6.9% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 0.8% (2024 est.)
industry: 25.8% (2024 est.)
services: 63.9% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 49.9% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 21.2% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.5% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.2% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 43.4% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -39.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural products: milk, sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, barley, maize, rapeseed, pork, rye, triticale (2023)
Industries: iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: -3% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 43.772 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 3.5% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 3.1% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 3.2% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 6.7% (2024 est.)
male: 7.4% (2024 est.)
female: 5.9% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 14.8% (2021 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020: 32.4 (2020 est.)
Average household expenditures: on food: 11.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% (2020 est.)
highest 10%: 25% (2020 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2024: 0.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.279 trillion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $1.369 trillion (2023 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2017: 63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 11% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2024: $267.056 billion (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $251.479 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: $161.759 billion (2022 est.)
Exports: Exports 2024: $1.949 trillion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $1.958 trillion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $1.917 trillion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners: USA 10%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, China 7%, Italy 6% (2023)
Exports - commodities: cars, vehicle parts/accessories, packaged medicine, plastic products, vaccines (2023)
Imports: Imports 2024: $1.774 trillion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $1.781 trillion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $1.808 trillion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners: China 12%, Netherlands 7%, USA 7%, Poland 6%, France 5% (2023)
Imports - commodities: cars, vehicle parts/accessories, garments, natural gas, vaccines (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $377.936 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $322.7 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $293.914 billion (2022 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 0.924 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.925 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.95 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.845 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 0.876 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 275.658 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 519.691 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 60.316 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 69.353 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 25.774 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 49% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
nuclear: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 11.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 25.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 9.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear energy: Percent of total electricity production: 1.4% (2023 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 33 (2025)
Coal: production: 109.741 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 140.994 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 1.68 million metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 32.933 million metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 35.4 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 131,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 2.062 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 115.2 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas: production: 4.337 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 82.371 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 74.989 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 23.39 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 120.457 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 38.4 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2024 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 109 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media: a mix of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; 70 national and regional public broadcasters compete with nearly 400 privately owned national and regional TV stations; more than 90% of households have cable or satellite TV; hundreds of radio stations, including national and regional networks and a large number of local stations
Internet country code: .de
Internet users: percent of population: 94% (2024 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 38.4 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2023 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: D
Airports: 840 (2025)
Heliports: 449 (2025)
Railways: total: 39,379 km (2020) 20,942 km electrified
Merchant marine: total: 595 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 69, general cargo 82, oil tanker 32, other 411
Ports: total ports: 35 (2024)
large: 5
medium: 4
small: 11
very small: 15
ports with oil terminals: 12
key ports: Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven, Emden, Hamburg, Kiel, Lubeck, Rostock

Military and security forces: Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): German Army (Deutsche Heer), German Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm), German Air Force (Deutsche Luftwaffe, includes air defense), Cyber and Information Space (Cyber und Informationsraum) (2025)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2025: 2.4% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 185,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the inventory of Federal Armed Forces is comprised of weapons systems produced domestically or jointly with other European countries and Western imports, particularly from the US; Germany's defense industry is capable of manufacturing the full spectrum of air, land, and naval military weapons systems; it also participates in joint defense production projects with European partners and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 17-23 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (must have completed compulsory full-time education and have German citizenship); service obligation 7-23 months or 12 years (2025)
Military deployments: up to 500 Iraq (NATO); 300 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR), Lebanon 170 (UNIFIL); up to 1,700 Lithuania (NATO) (2025)
Military - note: the Bundeswehr’s core mission is the defense of Germany and its NATO partners; it has a wide range of peacetime duties, including crisis management, cyber security, deterrence, homeland security, humanitarian and disaster relief, and international peacekeeping and stability operations; as a key member of NATO and the EU, the Bundeswehr typically operates in a coalition environment, and its capabilities are largely based on NATO and EU planning goals and needs; it has participated in a range of NATO and EU missions in Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as global maritime operations; the Bundeswehr has close bilateral defense ties with a number of EU countries, including the Czechia, France, the Netherlands, and Romania, as well as the UK and the US; it also contributes forces to UN peacekeeping missionsthe Bundeswehr was established in 1955; at the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, it had nearly 600,000 personnel, over 7,000 tanks, and 1,000 combat aircraft; in addition, over 400,000 soldiers from other NATO countries—including about 200,000 US military personnel—were stationed in West Germany; in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the Bundeswehr shrank by more than 60% in size (over 90% in tanks and about 80% in aircraft), while funding fell from nearly 3% of GDP and over 4% of government spending in the mid-1980s to 1.2% and 1.6% respectively; by the 2010s, the Bundeswehr’s ability to fulfill its regional security commitments had deteriorated; the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale assault on Ukraine in 2022 led to renewed emphasis on Germany’s leadership role in European defense and NATO and efforts to boost funding for the Bundeswehr to improve readiness, modernize, and expand (2025)

Space agency/agencies: German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR; established 1997) (2025)
Space launch site(s): a commercial offshore launch platform that will operate from the North Sea is under development with both government and private funding (2025)
Space program overview: has one of Europe’s largest space programs and is a top contributor to the ESA; builds and operates satellites, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), probes, and unmanned orbiters; researches and develops a range of capabilities and technologies, including reusable space planes, satellite payloads, rockets, propulsion-assisted landing technologies, and aeronautics; participates in EU and ESA programs, including the Cassini-Huygens research mission to Saturn, Mars and Venus exploration missions, and the Galileo global navigation satellite system; participates in ESA’s astronaut training program and human space flight operations; hosts the European Astronaut Center; participates in international programs such as the International Space Station (ISS) and the James Webb Space Telescope; hosts mission control centers for the ISS, the ESA, and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT); has ties to foreign space programs, including those of China, Japan, Russia, and the US; has a robust commercial space sector (2025)
Key space-program milestones: 1969 - first German scientific satellite (Azur) launched by US1973 - participated with other European states, particularly France and the UK, in development of Ariane satellite launch vehicle1978 - first German in space on Soviet Salyut space station1980s-1990s - participated in US Space Shuttle program, including providing astronauts1999 - launched a space-based X-ray telescope (ABRAXIS) on Russian rocket2005 - began development of reusable space plane/shuttle/transporter2019 - launched first space-based X-ray telescope (eROSITA) capable of imaging the entire sky (joint project with Russia)2023 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for the exploration of space and the Moon; adopted a new national space strategy

Terrorist group(s): Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 3,098,169 (2024 est.)
IDPs: 100 (2023 est.)
stateless persons: 28,813 (2024 est.)
Illicit drugs: USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Germany