Public budgets

Germany: public budget

What Germany's government raised and what it spent it on, from the figures its own budget laws or a statistics office publish. Solon places every figure on the same international classification, so it can be compared with any other place.

General government, 2012

Outturn: what came in and was spent

General government: central, state and local government and social security funds together, consolidated so that money passed between them is counted once, as Eurostat's government finance statistics (ESA 2010) count it.

Amounts in USD, converted from EUR at 2012's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$1.62T · 45% of GDP
Spending
$1.62T · 45.1% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$1.95B · -0.1% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Germany, 2012: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Germany, 2012: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection41$665.69B
Health14.9$241.22B
General public services14.7$238.31B
Economic affairs10$161.57B
Education9.2$149.45B
Public order and safety3.3$54.05B
Defence2.4$38.18B
Recreation, culture and religion2.3$37.44B
Environmental protection1.2$20.15B
Housing and community amenities1$16.02B
Social protection$665.69B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age49$326.24B
Sickness and disability15.5$103.1B
Survivors9.9$66.23B
Unemployment9.4$62.59B
Family and children8.3$55.4B
Social protection n.e.c.3.8$25.19B
Housing2.4$16.02B
Social exclusion n.e.c.1.6$10.83B
R&D Social protection0$91.22M
Health$241.22B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services39.9$96.17B
Outpatient services28.8$69.38B
Medical products, appliances and equipment22.1$53.22B
Health n.e.c.7.4$17.95B
R&D Health1.1$2.6B
Public health services0.8$1.91B
General public services$238.31B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions36.6$87.25B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs25.6$61.13B
General services16.1$38.48B
Basic research14$33.38B
Foreign economic aid5.7$13.64B
General public services n.e.c.1.7$4.06B
R&D General public services0.2$386.72M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Economic affairs$161.57B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport46$74.27B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs16.5$26.7B
Fuel and energy15.9$25.68B
Economic affairs n.e.c.4.7$7.62B
R&D Economic affairs4.6$7.39B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting4.5$7.32B
Mining, manufacturing and construction3.8$6.15B
Other industries3.5$5.67B
Communication0.5$765.74M
Education$149.45B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education37.9$56.71B
Pre-primary and primary education27.7$41.36B
Tertiary education20.3$30.37B
Subsidiary services to education9$13.47B
Education not definable by level2.1$3.1B
Post-secondary non-tertiary education1.7$2.5B
Education n.e.c.1.1$1.65B
R&D Education0.2$292.93M
Public order and safety$54.05B
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Police services47.9$25.92B
Law courts26.1$14.12B
Fire-protection services14$7.58B
Prisons6.8$3.67B
Public order and safety n.e.c.5.1$2.73B
R&D Public order and safety0.1$28.27M
Defence$38.18B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence87.5$33.42B
Foreign military aid7.4$2.82B
R&D Defence3.4$1.3B
Defence n.e.c.1.1$434.26M
Civil defence0.5$206.85M
Recreation, culture and religion$37.44B
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Cultural services35.7$13.38B
Broadcasting and publishing services31$11.6B
Recreational and sporting services24.4$9.13B
R&D Recreation, culture and religion4.6$1.71B
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.2.2$809.42M
Religious and other community services2.2$805.57M
Environmental protection$20.15B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management31.7$6.38B
Waste water management24.8$4.99B
Pollution abatement22.5$4.53B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape7.9$1.58B
Environmental protection n.e.c.7.3$1.46B
R&D Environmental protection6$1.21B
Housing and community amenities$16.02B
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Community development46.5$7.44B
Housing development27.7$4.43B
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.13.9$2.23B
Water supply6.4$1.03B
Street lighting4.2$679.66M
R&D Housing and community amenities1.3$208.14M

Where the money comes from

Germany, 2012: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Germany, 2012: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions36$584.05B
Taxes on income and wealth25.9$419.35B
Taxes on sales, production and imports25$405.51B
Sales, fees and charges8.4$136.15B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)2.1$33.84B
Other transfers received1.6$26.4B
Capital transfers and taxes received0.9$14.29B
Subsidies received0$524.2M
Taxes on income and wealth$419.35B
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income95.8$401.57B
Other taxes on wealth and income4.2$17.78B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$405.51B
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Value added tax61.5$249.29B
Not broken down, or fitting no category38.5$156.22B

Over the years

45.8 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99546 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99645.8 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99745.6 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99846.6 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99946.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00044.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00144.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00244.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00343.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00443.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00543.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00643.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00744.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00845.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00943.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01044.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01145 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01245.3 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01345.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01445.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01545.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01645.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01746.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01846.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01946.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02047.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02146.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02245.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02346.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02447.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02555.2 % of GDPSpending · 1,99549.6 % of GDPSpending · 1,99648.8 % of GDPSpending · 1,99748.3 % of GDPSpending · 1,99848.5 % of GDPSpending · 1,99948.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,00047.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,00148.2 % of GDPSpending · 2,00248.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,00347 % of GDPSpending · 2,00446.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,00545.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,00643.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,00744.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,00848.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,00948.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,01045.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,01145.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,01245.2 % of GDPSpending · 2,01344.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01444.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01544.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,01644.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01744.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,01845.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01951.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,02050.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,02148.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,02248.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,02349.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,024
Germany: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
Germany: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
PeriodRevenue (% of GDP)Spending (% of GDP)
1,99545.855.2
1,9964649.6
1,99745.848.8
1,99845.648.3
1,99946.648.5
2,00046.448.1
2,00144.647.7
2,00244.148.2
2,00344.748.5
2,00443.647
2,00543.546.9
2,00643.545.3
2,00743.743.5
2,00844.144.4
2,00945.148.3
2,01043.748.1
2,01144.545.3
2,0124545.1
2,01345.345.2
2,01445.244.5
2,01545.444.5
2,01645.844.7
2,01745.844.5
2,01846.644.7
2,01946.845.5
2,02046.751.1
2,02147.550.7
2,02246.748.6
2,02345.848.1
2,02446.849.4
2,02547.2
Where these figures come from

Series read from Eurostat, government finance statistics (gov_10a_main, gov_10a_exp) on 2026-11-11.

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