2021 Edition

Background

As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating world wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key western economic and security organizations, the EC (now the EU) and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German reunification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

Area

land

348,672 sq km

total

357,022 sq km

water

8,350 sq km

Area - comparative

three times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Montana

Climate

temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Coastline

2,389 km

Elevation

highest point

Zugspitze 2,963 m

lowest point

Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.5 m

mean elevation

263 m

Geographic coordinates

51 00 N, 9 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea; most major rivers in Germany - the Rhine, Weser, Oder, Elbe - flow northward; the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest, flows eastward

Irrigated land

6,500 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 801 km, Belgium 133 km, Czechia 704 km, Denmark 140 km, France 418 km, Luxembourg 128 km, Netherlands 575 km, Poland 447 km, Switzerland 348 km

total

3,694 km

Land use

agricultural land

48% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 34.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 13.3% (2018 est.)

forest

31.8% (2018 est.)

other

20.2% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lake Constance (shared with Switzerland and Austria) - 540 sq km

Salt water lake(s)

Stettiner Haff/Zalew Szczecinski (shared with Poland) - 900 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Danube river source (shared with Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Elbe river mouth (shared with Czechia [s]) - 1,252 km; Rhine  (shared with Switzerland [s], France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Population distribution

most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia

Terrain

lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south

Age structure

0-14 years

12.89% (male 5,302,850/female 5,025,863)

15-24 years

9.81% (male 4,012,412/female 3,854,471)

25-54 years

38.58% (male 15,553,328/female 15,370,417)

55-64 years

15.74% (male 6,297,886/female 6,316,024)

65 years and over

22.99% (male 8,148,873/female 10,277,538) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

8.63 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.5% (2014/17)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

67% (2018)

note

note: percent of women aged 18-49

Current Health Expenditure

11.4% (2018)

Death rate

12.22 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

33.7

potential support ratio

3 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.4

youth dependency ratio

21.7

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

German 86.3%, Turkish 1.8%, Polish 1%, Syrian 1%, Romanian 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.9% (2020 est.)

note

note:  data represent population by nationality

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<500 (2020 est.)

note

note: estimate does not include children

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

93,000 (2020 est.)

note

note: estimate does not include children

Hospital bed density

8 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

3.61 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.24 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

German (official); note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages; Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

major-language sample(s)

Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.8 years (2021 est.)

male

78.93 years

total population

81.3 years

Major urban areas - population

3.567 million BERLIN (capital), 1.789 million Hamburg, 1.553 million Munich, 1.129 million Cologne, 785,000 Frankfurt (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

49.1 years (2020 est.)

male

46.5 years

total

47.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.8 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

German

noun

German(s)

Net migration rate

1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.3% (2016)

Physicians density

4.25 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

79,903,481 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia

Population growth rate

-0.21% (2021 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 26.7%, Protestant 24.3%, Muslim 3.5%, other 4.8%, none 40.7% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2019)

male

17 years

total

17 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.48 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

6.4% (2020 est.)

male

7.9%

total

7.2%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

77.5% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen (Hesse), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia); note - Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat), while Bremen calls itself a Free Hanseatic City (Freie Hansestadt) and Hamburg considers itself a Free and Hanseatic City (Freie und Hansestadt)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

the origin of the name is unclear but may be related to the old West Slavic (Polabian) word "berl" or "birl," meaning "swamp"

geographic coordinates

52 31 N, 13 24 E

name

Berlin

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a German citizen or a resident alien who has lived in Germany at least 8 years

dual citizenship recognized

yes, but requires prior permission from government

residency requirement for naturalization

8 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Parliament; passage and enactment into law require two-thirds majority vote by both the Bundesrat (upper house) and the Bundestag (lower house) of Parliament; articles including those on basic human rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2020; note - in early 2021, the German federal government introduced a bill to incorporate children’s rights into the constitution

history

previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949

Country name

conventional long form

Federal Republic of Germany

conventional short form

Germany

etymology

the Gauls (Celts) of Western Europe may have referred to the newly arriving Germanic tribes who settled in neighboring areas east of the Rhine during the first centuries B.C. as "Germani," a term the Romans adopted as "Germania"; the native designation "Deutsch" comes from the Old High German "diutisc" meaning "of the people"

former

German Reich

local long form

Bundesrepublik Deutschland

local short form

Deutschland

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Woodward "Clark" PRICE (since 1 July 2021)

consulate(s) general

Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich

email address and website

BerlinPCO@state.govhttps://de.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Pariser Platz 2, 10117 BerlinClayallee 170, 14191 Berlin (administrative services)

FAX

[49] (30) 8305-1215

mailing address

5090 Berlin Place, Washington DC  20521-5090

telephone

[49] (30) 8305-0

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Emily Margarethe HABER (since 22 June 2018)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

info@washington.diplo.dehttps://www.germany.info/us-en

FAX

[1] (202) 298-4261

telephone

[1] (202) 298-4000

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) recommended by the chancellor, appointed by the president

chief of state

President Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (since 19 March 2017)

election results

Frank-Walter STEINMEIER elected president; Federal Convention vote count - Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (SPD) 931, Christopher BUTTERWEGGE (The Left) 128, Albrecht GLASER (Alternative for Germany AfD) 42, Alexander HOLD (BVB/FW) 25, Engelbert SONNEBORN (Pirates) 10; Olaf SCHOLZ (SPD) elected chancellor; Federal Parliament vote - 395 to 303

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by a Federal Convention consisting of all members of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equivalent number of delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 February 2017 (next to be held in February 2022); following the most recent Federal Parliament election, the party or coalition with the most representatives usually elects the chancellor who is appointed by the president to serve a renewable 4-year term; Federal Parliament vote for chancellor last held on 8 December 2021 (next to be held after the Bundestag election in 2025)

head of government

Chancellor Olaf SCHOLZ (since 8 December 2021)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold; these colors have played an important role in German history and can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor - a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

Independence

18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights on 15 March 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest courts

Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)

judge selection and term of office

Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68

subordinate courts

Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking Mannheim Commercial Court

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of:Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 seats; members appointed by each of the 16 state governments)Federal Diet or Bundestag (735 seats for the 2021-25 term - total seats can vary each electoral term; approximately one-half of members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and approximately one-half directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members' terms depend upon the states they represent)

election results

Bundesrat - composition - men 46, women 23, percent of women 33.3%Bundestag - percent of vote by party - SPD 25.7%, CDU/CSU 24.1%, Alliance '90/Greens 14.8%, FDP 11.5%, AfD 10.3%, The Left 4.9%, other 8.7%; seats by party - SPD 206, CDU/CSU 196, Alliance '90/Greens 118, FDP 92, AfD 83, The Left 39, other 1; composition - men 479, women 257, percent of women 34.9%; note - total Parliament percent of women 34.8%

elections

Bundesrat - none; determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an electionBundestag - last held on 26 September 2021 (next to be held in September 2025 at the latest); almost all postwar German governments have been coalitions

National anthem

lyrics/music

August Heinrich HOFFMANN VON FALLERSLEBEN/Franz Joseph HAYDN

name

"Das Lied der Deutschen" (Song of the Germans)

note

note: adopted 1922; the anthem, also known as "Deutschlandlied" (Song of Germany), was originally adopted for its connection to the March 1848 liberal revolution; following appropriation by the Nazis of the first verse, specifically the phrase, "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles" (Germany, Germany above all) to promote nationalism, it was banned after 1945; in 1952, its third verse was adopted by West Germany as its national anthem; in 1990, it became the national anthem for the reunited Germany

National holiday

German Unity Day, 3 October (1990)

National symbol(s)

eagle; national colors: black, red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance '90/Greens [Annalena BAERBOCK and Robert HABECK]Alternative for Germany or AfD [Alexander GAULAND - Honorary Chairman, Joerg MEUTHEN and Tino CHRUPALLA]Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Armin LASCHET]Christian Social Union or CSU [Markus SOEDER]Free Democratic Party or FDP [Christian LINDNER]The Left or Die Linke [Janine WISSLER and Susanne HENNING-WELLSOW]Social Democratic Party or SPD [Saskia ESKEN and Norbert WALTER-BORJANS]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; age 16 for some state and municipal elections

Agricultural products

milk, sugar beet, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, maize, rye, rapeseed, triticale

Budget

expenditures

1.619 trillion (2017 est.)

revenues

1.665 trillion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AAA (1994)

Moody's rating

Aaa (1986)

note

Credit ratings prior to 1989 refer to West Germany.

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (1983)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

$297.434 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$280.238 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$5,751,408,000,000 (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$5,671,463,000,000 (2019 est.)

Economic overview

The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment. Germany benefits from a highly skilled labor force, but, like its Western European neighbors, faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and a large increase in net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitate structural reforms.Reforms launched by the government of Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (1998-2005), deemed necessary to address chronically high unemployment and low average growth, contributed to strong economic growth and falling unemployment. These advances, as well as a government subsidized, reduced working hour scheme, help explain the relatively modest increase in unemployment during the 2008-09 recession - the deepest since World War II. The German Government introduced a minimum wage in 2015 that increased to $9.79 (8.84 euros) in January 2017.Stimulus and stabilization efforts initiated in 2008 and 2009 and tax cuts introduced in Chancellor Angela MERKEL's second term increased Germany's total budget deficit - including federal, state, and municipal - to 4.1% in 2010, but slower spending and higher tax revenues reduced the deficit to 0.8% in 2011 and in 2017 Germany reached a budget surplus of 0.7%. A constitutional amendment approved in 2009 limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016, though the target was already reached in 2012.Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Chancellor Angela MERKEL announced in May 2011 that eight of the country's 17 nuclear reactors would be shut down immediately and the remaining plants would close by 2022. Germany plans to replace nuclear power largely with renewable energy, which accounted for 29.5% of gross electricity consumption in 2016, up from 9% in 2000. Before the shutdown of the eight reactors, Germany relied on nuclear power for 23% of its electricity generating capacity and 46% of its base-load electricity production.The German economy suffers from low levels of investment, and a government plan to invest 15 billion euros during 2016-18, largely in infrastructure, is intended to spur needed private investment. Domestic consumption, investment, and exports are likely to drive German GDP growth in 2018, and the country’s budget and trade surpluses are likely to remain high.

Exchange rates

currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

0.885 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.87789 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.90338 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.82771 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$1,881,510,000,000 note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$1,813,190,000,000 note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$1,671,650,000,000 note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, aircraft, medical cultures/vaccines, industrial machinery (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 9%, France 8%, China 7%, Netherlands 6%, United Kingdom 6%, Italy 5%, Poland 5%, Austria 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

47.3% (2017 est.)

government consumption

19.5% (2017 est.)

household consumption

53.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-39.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.7% (2017 est.)

industry

30.7% (2017 est.)

services

68.6% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3,860,923,000,000 (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1994

30 (1994)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

31.9 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24% (2000)

lowest 10%

3.6%

Imports

Imports 2018

$1,635,580,000,000 note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$1,593,720,000,000 note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$1,452,560,000,000 note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines (2019)

Imports - partners

Netherlands 9%, China 8%, France 7%, Belgium 6%, Poland 6%, Italy 6%, Czechia 5%, United States 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.3% (2017 est.)

Industries

among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.5% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.7% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.4% (2019 est.)

Labor force

44.585 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1.4%

industry

24.2%

services

74.3% (2016)

Population below poverty line

14.8% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; the series are presented as a percentage of GDP and in millions of euros; GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product at current market prices; data expressed in national currency are converted into euro using end-of-year exchange rates provided by the European Central Bank

Public debt 2016

67.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$4,432,430,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$4,457,050,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$4,238,800,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

2.91% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

1.3% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

0.59% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$53,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$53,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$50,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015

$173.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$200.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

45% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

5.19% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

4.98% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

6.4% (2020 est.)

male

7.9%

total

7.2%

Crude oil - exports

6,569 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

1.836 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production

41,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

129.6 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

536.5 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

78.86 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

41% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

52% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

28.34 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

208.5 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

612.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

93.36 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

34.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

119.5 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

7.9 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

39.5 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2.46 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

494,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

883,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

2.158 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25.01 (2020 est.)

total

36,040,739 (2020)

Broadcast media

a mixture of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; 70 national and regional public broadcasters compete with nearly 400 privately owned national and regional TV stations; more than 90% of households have cable or satellite TV; hundreds of radio stations including multiple national radio networks, regional radio networks, and a large number of local radio stations

Internet country code

.de

Internet users

percent of population

89.81% (2020 est.)

total

78.81 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign countries; 48 per 100 for fixed-line and 128 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2019)

general assessment

one of the world's most technologically advanced telecom systems with additional security measures; LTE universally available and 5G service to over 80% of population; mobile market is driven by data, with increased broadband subscribership; regulatory measures aimed at facilitating wholesale network access to provide fiber-based broadband services; government aims to provide smart technology solutions; over 60 cities use smart technology in urban development, many through joint initiative with private sector, utility companies, and universities; importer of broadcast equipment and computers from China (2020)

international

country code - 49; landing points for SeaMeWe-3, TAT-14, AC-1, CONTACT-3, Fehmarn Balt, C-Lion1, GC1, GlobalConnect-KPN, and Germany-Denmark 2 & 3 - submarine cables to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia; as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

45.71 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

38.3 million (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

128.3 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

107.5 million (2020)

Airports

total

539 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

60

2,438 to 3,047 m

49

914 to 1,523 m

70

over 3,047 m

14

total

318

under 914 m

125 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

35

total

221

under 914 m

185 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

D

Heliports

23 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 77, general cargo 85, oil tanker 36, other 401 (2021)

total

599

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

7,969,860,000 mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

109,796,202 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

1,113

number of registered air carriers

20 (2020)

Pipelines

37 km condensate, 26985 km gas, 2400 km oil, 4479 km refined products, 8 km water (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Bremen/Bremerhaven (4,856,900), Hamburg (9,274,215) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Hamburg

major seaport(s)

Baltic Sea: Kiel, RostockNorth Sea: Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Emden, Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven

oil terminal(s)

Brunsbuttel Canal terminals

river port(s)

Bremen (Weser); Bremerhaven (Geeste); Duisburg, Karlsruhe, Neuss-Dusseldorf (Rhine); Lubeck (Wakenitz); Brunsbuttel, Hamburg (Elbe)

Railways

narrow gauge

220 km 1.000-m gauge (79 km electrified)

note

15 km 0.900-m gauge, 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2015)

standard gauge

33,331 km 1.435-m gauge (19,973 km electrified) (2015)

total

33,590 km (2017)

Roadways

note

note: includes local roads

paved

625,000 km (includes 12,996 km of expressways) (2017)

total

625,000 km (2017)

Waterways

7,467 km (Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea) (2012)

Military - note

the Federal Republic of Germany joined NATO in May 1955; with the reunification of Germany in October 1990, the states of the former German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany in its membership of NATO the German Army has incorporated a joint Franco-German mechanized infantry brigade since 1989, a Dutch airmobile infantry brigade since 2014, and a Dutch mechanized infantry brigade since 2016; in addition, the German Navy’s Sea Battalion (includes marine infantry, naval divers, reconnaissance, and security forces) has worked closely with the Dutch Marine Corps since 2016, including as a binational amphibious landing group (2021)

Military and security forces

Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe, includes air defense), Joint Support Service (Streitkraeftebasis, SKB), Central Medical Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst, ZSanDstBw), Cyber and Information Space Command (Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum, Kdo CIR) (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 184,000 active duty personnel (63,500 Army; 16,500 Navy; 27,500 Air Force; 27,000 Joint Support Service; 20,000 Medical Service, 14,500 Cyber and Information Space Command; 15,000 other) (2021)

note

note - Germany in 2020 announced it planned to increase the size of the military to about 200,000 troops by 2025

Military deployments

approximately 500 Middle East (NATO/Counter-ISIS campaign); 130 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 600 Lithuania (NATO); approximately 1,400 Mali (MINUSMA/EUTM); note - Germany is a contributing member of the EuroCorps (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the German Federal Armed Forces inventory is mostly comprised of weapons systems produced domestically or jointly with other European countries and Western imports; since 2010, the US is the leading foreign supplier of armaments to Germany; Germany's defense industry is capable of manufacturing the full spectrum of air, land, and naval military weapons systems, and is one of the world's leading arms exporters (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1.2% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.23% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.25% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.36% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.56% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription ended July 2011; service obligation 8-23 months or 12 years; women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001 (2021)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

maritime transshipment point for cocaine heading to Europe

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

605,338 (Syria), 147,994 (Afghanistan), 146,009 (Iraq), 61,226 (Eritrea), 44,965 (Iran), 33,345 (Turkey), 28,061 (Somalia), 9,172 (Russia), 8,813 (Nigeria), 8,475 (Pakistan), 7,926 (Serbia and Kosovo), 5,385 (Ethiopia) (2020)

stateless persons

26,675 (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

727.97 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

49.92 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

11.71 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Environment - current issues

emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power by 2022; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

48% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 34.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 13.3% (2018 est.)

forest

31.8% (2018 est.)

other

20.2% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lake Constance (shared with Switzerland and Austria) - 540 sq km

Salt water lake(s)

Stettiner Haff/Zalew Szczecinski (shared with Poland) - 900 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Danube river source (shared with Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Elbe river mouth (shared with Czechia [s]) - 1,252 km; Rhine  (shared with Switzerland [s], France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

154 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

299.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

19.75 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

4.388 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

77.5% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

51.046 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

24,415,302 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

47.8% (2015 est.)