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, 2021

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 2021's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$2.07T · 47.5% of GDP
Spending
$2.21T · 50.7% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$139.11B · -3.2% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Germany, 2021: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Germany, 2021: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection40.4$891.01B
Health16.8$370.5B
Economic affairs12.9$284.27B
General public services11.8$259.62B
Education8.8$193.64B
Public order and safety3.3$71.93B
Defence2.2$49.59B
Recreation, culture and religion2$44.28B
Environmental protection1.1$23.68B
Housing and community amenities0.8$18.17B
Social protection$891.01B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age47.8$425.96B
Sickness and disability15.9$141.44B
Unemployment9.4$83.64B
Survivors9.3$83.05B
Family and children9.3$82.56B
Social protection n.e.c.3.5$30.74B
Social exclusion n.e.c.2.8$24.57B
Housing2.1$18.88B
R&D Social protection0$162.03M
Health$370.5B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services33.5$124.1B
Outpatient services27$100B
Medical products, appliances and equipment20.7$76.57B
Public health services9.1$33.73B
Health n.e.c.8.8$32.67B
R&D Health0.9$3.43B
Economic affairs$284.27B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport37.4$106.31B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs34.9$99.1B
Fuel and energy10.8$30.72B
R&D Economic affairs4.4$12.4B
Mining, manufacturing and construction3.3$9.51B
Economic affairs n.e.c.3$8.52B
Other industries3$8.44B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting2.6$7.36B
Communication0.7$1.91B
General public services$259.62B
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 affairs37$96.13B
General services21.6$56.18B
Basic research17.2$44.55B
Foreign economic aid10.9$28.31B
Public debt transactions10.7$27.81B
General public services n.e.c.2.3$6.06B
R&D General public services0.2$575.97M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Education$193.64B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education36.6$70.91B
Pre-primary and primary education33.3$64.39B
Tertiary education17.1$33.1B
Subsidiary services to education8.2$15.93B
Education not definable by level1.7$3.27B
Post-secondary non-tertiary education1.6$3.07B
Education n.e.c.1.3$2.58B
R&D Education0.2$382.01M
Public order and safety$71.93B
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$34.52B
Law courts22.4$16.11B
Fire-protection services18.6$13.39B
Prisons5.7$4.11B
Public order and safety n.e.c.5.2$3.78B
R&D Public order and safety0.1$37.85M
Defence$49.59B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence87.8$43.52B
Foreign military aid7.4$3.68B
R&D Defence3.3$1.61B
Defence n.e.c.0.9$470.71M
Civil defence0.6$296.86M
Recreation, culture and religion$44.28B
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 services36.6$16.22B
Broadcasting and publishing services28.8$12.75B
Recreational and sporting services25$11.07B
R&D Recreation, culture and religion5.2$2.31B
Religious and other community services2.2$980.46M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.2.1$948.53M
Environmental protection$23.68B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management30.8$7.3B
Waste water management23.8$5.63B
Pollution abatement20.7$4.9B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape9.1$2.16B
Environmental protection n.e.c.7.8$1.86B
R&D Environmental protection7.7$1.83B
Housing and community amenities$18.17B
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 development47.6$8.65B
Housing development25.2$4.59B
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.15.4$2.79B
Water supply8.3$1.51B
Street lighting2.4$429.32M
R&D Housing and community amenities1.1$205.79M

Where the money comes from

Germany, 2021: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Germany, 2021: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions36.1$747.84B
Taxes on income and wealth27.8$574.88B
Taxes on sales, production and imports23.5$485.7B
Sales, fees and charges8.6$178.42B
Other transfers received1.8$38.22B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.2$24.42B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)0.9$19.01B
Subsidies received0$269.66M
Taxes on income and wealth$574.88B
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$556.12B
Other taxes on wealth and income3.3$18.75B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$485.7B
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 tax63.4$307.9B
Not broken down, or fitting no category36.6$177.81B

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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