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, 2018

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 2018's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$1.89T · 46.6% of GDP
Spending
$1.81T · 44.7% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
$76.37B · 1.9% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Germany, 2018: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Germany, 2018: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection42.3$765.41B
Health15.7$285.04B
General public services12.4$225.22B
Economic affairs10$181.12B
Education9.4$169.46B
Public order and safety3.5$62.83B
Defence2.4$42.76B
Recreation, culture and religion2.2$40.4B
Environmental protection1.3$22.85B
Housing and community amenities0.9$15.78B
Social protection$765.41B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age49.1$375.78B
Sickness and disability16.3$124.55B
Survivors9.6$73.71B
Family and children8.9$68.12B
Unemployment7.8$59.89B
Social protection n.e.c.3.7$28.31B
Social exclusion n.e.c.2.9$21.99B
Housing1.7$12.93B
R&D Social protection0$140.54M
Health$285.04B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services38.2$108.86B
Outpatient services30.4$86.53B
Medical products, appliances and equipment22.4$63.96B
Health n.e.c.7$19.94B
R&D Health1.1$3.19B
Public health services0.9$2.56B
General public services$225.22B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs33.2$74.81B
General services20.4$46.05B
Public debt transactions18$40.49B
Basic research17.1$38.58B
Foreign economic aid8.8$19.87B
General public services n.e.c.2.2$4.92B
R&D General public services0.2$500.74M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Economic affairs$181.12B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport47.5$85.96B
Fuel and energy17.8$32.29B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs13.7$24.76B
R&D Economic affairs5.5$9.94B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting4.3$7.77B
Economic affairs n.e.c.4$7.26B
Other industries3.7$6.76B
Mining, manufacturing and construction3.2$5.79B
Communication0.3$573.97M
Education$169.46B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education36.6$61.96B
Pre-primary and primary education31.2$52.88B
Tertiary education19.4$32.83B
Subsidiary services to education7.8$13.16B
Education not definable by level2.1$3.59B
Post-secondary non-tertiary education1.7$2.8B
Education n.e.c.1.1$1.83B
R&D Education0.2$408.63M
Public order and safety$62.83B
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 services48.4$30.42B
Law courts24.4$15.35B
Fire-protection services15.8$9.94B
Prisons6.1$3.84B
Public order and safety n.e.c.5.2$3.24B
R&D Public order and safety0.1$36.61M
Defence$42.76B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence88.7$37.91B
Foreign military aid7.2$3.08B
R&D Defence3$1.26B
Defence n.e.c.0.9$374.38M
Civil defence0.3$129.91M
Recreation, culture and religion$40.4B
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 services37.4$15.11B
Broadcasting and publishing services28$11.33B
Recreational and sporting services24.7$9.96B
R&D Recreation, culture and religion5.7$2.29B
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.2.1$855.04M
Religious and other community services2.1$852.68M
Environmental protection$22.85B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management28.3$6.46B
Pollution abatement28.2$6.45B
Waste water management20.8$4.76B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape8.3$1.89B
R&D Environmental protection7.4$1.68B
Environmental protection n.e.c.7$1.6B
Housing and community amenities$15.78B
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 development50.1$7.91B
Housing development21.8$3.43B
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.15.3$2.42B
Water supply7.7$1.22B
Street lighting3.3$520.82M
R&D Housing and community amenities1.8$282.26M

Where the money comes from

Germany, 2018: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Germany, 2018: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions35.8$676.22B
Taxes on income and wealth27.8$525.15B
Taxes on sales, production and imports23.9$450.43B
Sales, fees and charges8.5$161.1B
Other transfers received1.7$32.29B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.3$25.15B
Capital transfers and taxes received0.9$16.64B
Subsidies received0$249.19M
Taxes on income and wealth$525.15B
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 income96.7$507.7B
Other taxes on wealth and income3.3$17.45B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$450.43B
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 tax61.6$277.69B
Not broken down, or fitting no category38.4$172.75B

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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