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, 2020

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 2020's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$1.84T · 46.7% of GDP
Spending
$2.01T · 51.1% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$172.62B · -4.4% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Germany, 2020: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Germany, 2020: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection41.9$843.23B
Health16.3$328.33B
General public services11.7$234.72B
Economic affairs11.4$230.58B
Education8.9$180.03B
Public order and safety3.3$66.3B
Defence2.2$44.22B
Recreation, culture and religion2.1$42.6B
Environmental protection1.3$25.2B
Housing and community amenities1$19.38B
Social protection$843.23B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age47.5$400.16B
Sickness and disability15.9$134.12B
Unemployment9.9$83.58B
Family and children9.5$79.74B
Survivors9.3$78.1B
Social protection n.e.c.3.5$29.34B
Social exclusion n.e.c.3.1$25.8B
Housing1.5$12.26B
R&D Social protection0$143.92M
Health$328.33B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services35.4$116.26B
Outpatient services28.1$92.19B
Medical products, appliances and equipment20.9$68.72B
Health n.e.c.10$32.88B
Public health services4.6$15.02B
R&D Health1$3.26B
General public services$234.72B
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 affairs35.6$83.64B
General services22.4$52.64B
Basic research17.2$40.42B
Public debt transactions12$28.24B
Foreign economic aid10.1$23.65B
General public services n.e.c.2.4$5.6B
R&D General public services0.2$529.98M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Economic affairs$230.58B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport40.5$93.37B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs23.6$54.33B
Fuel and energy18$41.58B
R&D Economic affairs4.8$11.13B
Economic affairs n.e.c.3.7$8.45B
Other industries3.4$7.92B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting2.9$6.7B
Mining, manufacturing and construction2.7$6.22B
Communication0.4$874.93M
Education$180.03B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education36.6$65.84B
Pre-primary and primary education32.6$58.77B
Tertiary education17.9$32.18B
Subsidiary services to education7.9$14.22B
Education not definable by level1.9$3.5B
Post-secondary non-tertiary education1.6$2.92B
Education n.e.c.1.2$2.2B
R&D Education0.2$413.48M
Public order and safety$66.3B
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 services48.1$31.92B
Law courts22.6$14.97B
Fire-protection services18.1$11.99B
Prisons5.8$3.83B
Public order and safety n.e.c.5.3$3.55B
R&D Public order and safety0.1$39.98M
Defence$44.22B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence87.1$38.51B
Foreign military aid8.3$3.68B
R&D Defence3.1$1.36B
Defence n.e.c.1.2$525.41M
Civil defence0.3$153.05M
Recreation, culture and religion$42.6B
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 services37.9$16.15B
Broadcasting and publishing services27.2$11.59B
Recreational and sporting services25.3$10.76B
R&D Recreation, culture and religion5.6$2.38B
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.2$864.65M
Religious and other community services2$857.79M
Environmental protection$25.2B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement32.2$8.12B
Waste management26$6.54B
Waste water management19.6$4.95B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape7.8$1.96B
R&D Environmental protection7.6$1.93B
Environmental protection n.e.c.6.8$1.71B
Housing and community amenities$19.38B
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 development42.8$8.29B
Housing development31.1$6.02B
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.15.5$3.01B
Water supply6.8$1.32B
Street lighting2.2$422.61M
R&D Housing and community amenities1.6$309.54M

Where the money comes from

Germany, 2020: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Germany, 2020: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions37.7$694.56B
Taxes on income and wealth26.6$489.97B
Taxes on sales, production and imports23$424.07B
Sales, fees and charges8.8$162.22B
Other transfers received1.7$30.66B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.3$23.14B
Capital transfers and taxes received0.9$17.2B
Subsidies received0$153.05M
Taxes on income and wealth$489.97B
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 income96.5$472.67B
Other taxes on wealth and income3.5$17.3B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$424.07B
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 tax59.7$253.07B
Not broken down, or fitting no category40.3$171B

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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