
Gross debt in Germany
General government debt of Germany refers to the debts of the state, their states and municipalities, and also of public sector institutions such as social security funds.The government debt in the period from 2000 to 2021 was between 1.13 trillion and 2.98 trillion USD. The highest level within the past 21 years was reached in 2011. However, the liabilities in 2021 have been only 3.0 trillion USD The budget deficit in the same year was 158.8 billion USD.
Based on the number of inhabitants, this is a debt of 35,659 USD per person. For comparison, the average debt per person in the same year in the European Union was 35,341 USD.
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Gross debt of the last 21 years in billion USD
This is how much debt Germany can afford
In accordance with the Maastricht Treaty, government debt in Germany is aggregated for the federal, state and local governments as well as state institutions, and therefore includes the debt of all public budgets. As it is gross debt, the government's assets are not deducted. According to the EU convergence criteria, each EU country must meet certain requirements. For the debt budget, these two conditions in particular are decisive:- Consolidated gross debt may not exceed 60% of gross domestic product (GDP).
- The budget deficit, i.e. new annual debt, may not exceed 3% of GDP.
At the end of 2021, the debt of all EU countries averaged 92 percent.
Year | Germany total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 1,155.93 bn USD | 59.34% | 14,060 USD | 10,328 USD |
2001 | 1,132.31 bn USD | 58.19% | 13,750 USD | 10,404 USD |
2002 | 1,245.96 bn USD | 59.95% | 15,105 USD | 11,368 USD |
2003 | 1,589.50 bn USD | 63.54% | 19,259 USD | 14,148 USD |
2004 | 1,834.98 bn USD | 65.20% | 22,238 USD | 16,162 USD |
2005 | 1,922.95 bn USD | 67.55% | 23,317 USD | 16,918 USD |
2006 | 2,003.07 bn USD | 66.89% | 24,316 USD | 17,549 USD |
2007 | 2,197.79 bn USD | 64.16% | 26,716 USD | 19,574 USD |
2008 | 2,459.95 bn USD | 65.68% | 29,959 USD | 22,721 USD |
2009 | 2,495.56 bn USD | 73.16% | 30,470 USD | 23,701 USD |
2010 | 2,787.55 bn USD | 81.99% | 34,087 USD | 25,145 USD |
2011 | 2,977.60 bn USD | 79.42% | 37,093 USD | 28,417 USD |
2012 | 2,848.00 bn USD | 80.75% | 35,411 USD | 27,784 USD |
2013 | 2,924.41 bn USD | 78.32% | 36,262 USD | 30,021 USD |
2014 | 2,927.68 bn USD | 75.28% | 36,152 USD | 30,832 USD |
2015 | 2,415.67 bn USD | 71.95% | 29,572 USD | 26,170 USD |
2016 | 2,392.62 bn USD | 68.95% | 29,055 USD | 26,655 USD |
2017 | 2,385.16 bn USD | 64.62% | 28,856 USD | 27,535 USD |
2018 | 2,435.87 bn USD | 61.29% | 29,381 USD | 29,172 USD |
2019 | 2,290.16 bn USD | 58.90% | 27,561 USD | 27,927 USD |
2020 | 2,643.14 bn USD | 67.95% | 31,784 USD | 32,227 USD |
2021 | 2,966.72 bn USD | 69.64% | 35,659 USD | 35,341 USD |
Comparison of gross debt per capita with the European Union in U.S. dollars
Budget deficit in Germany

The budget balance in Germany in the period between 1998 and 2022 varied between -168.54 billion euros and +77.50 billion euros. In 2022, Germany reached a balance of -106.70 billion euros.
In ratio to population, this equals a new indebtedness of 1,282 euros per capita in Germany in 2022. For comparison, the average debt per capita in the European Union in the same year was 1,254 euros.
Budget deficit and surplus in the last 24 years
Year | Germany total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | -47.16 bn USD | -2.11% | -575 USD | -398 USD |
1999 | -31.23 bn USD | -1.42% | -380 USD | -204 USD |
2000 | 21.50 bn USD | 1.10% | 262 USD | 112 USD |
2001 | -57.90 bn USD | -2.98% | -703 USD | -299 USD |
2002 | -77.55 bn USD | -3.73% | -940 USD | -565 USD |
2003 | -100.85 bn USD | -4.03% | -1,222 USD | -840 USD |
2004 | -105.66 bn USD | -3.75% | -1,280 USD | -920 USD |
2005 | -97.81 bn USD | -3.44% | -1,186 USD | -822 USD |
2006 | -51.73 bn USD | -1.73% | -628 USD | -568 USD |
2007 | 6.45 bn USD | 0.19% | 78 USD | -360 USD |
2008 | -4.36 bn USD | -0.12% | -53 USD | -1,085 USD |
2009 | -107.47 bn USD | -3.15% | -1,312 USD | -2,021 USD |
2010 | -148.86 bn USD | -4.38% | -1,820 USD | -1,970 USD |
2011 | -33.05 bn USD | -0.88% | -412 USD | -1,463 USD |
2012 | 0.33 bn USD | 0.01% | 4 USD | -1,220 USD |
2013 | 1.49 bn USD | 0.04% | 19 USD | -1,027 USD |
2014 | 22.54 bn USD | 0.58% | 278 USD | -851 USD |
2015 | 32.25 bn USD | 0.96% | 395 USD | -574 USD |
2016 | 40.26 bn USD | 1.16% | 489 USD | -421 USD |
2017 | 49.31 bn USD | 1.34% | 597 USD | -263 USD |
2018 | 77.50 bn USD | 1.95% | 935 USD | -134 USD |
2019 | 59.53 bn USD | 1.53% | 716 USD | -191 USD |
2020 | -168.54 bn USD | -4.33% | -2,027 USD | -2,317 USD |
2021 | -158.78 bn USD | -3.73% | -1,909 USD | -1,852 USD |
2022 | -106.70 bn USD | -1,282 USD | -1,254 USD |
(negative numbers = deficit)