Economic output in Germany was up in the first quarter of 2025, the Bundesbank writes in its latest Monthly Report. Exports of goods, in particular, but probably also investment and private consumption increased. However, the Bundesbank economists expect the economy to more or less stagnate in the second quarter. This is due to the wide range of burdens that persist and the additional headwinds caused by the tightening of US tariff policy.

Burkhard Balz ist der derjenige im Vorstand der Bundesbank, der den digitalen Euro umsetzen soll. Doch das Projekt ist kein Selbstläufer. Wo die Widerstände sind, was es für uns bedeutet, wie die Zukunft des Bargelds aussieht und was auf neuen Banknoten zu sehen sein wird, sagt er im Interview.

At a meeting of the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel addressed the geopolitical challenges currently being faced. Speaking at a joint press conference with the new Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil in Banff, Canada, Mr Nagel said that while global economic activity had still been fairly robust at the start of the year, benefiting from the anticipatory effects of announced tariffs, the world economy was now struggling in the face of tightened US tariff policies and great uncertainty.

Änderungen in der weltweiten Handelspolitik führen zu einem starken Anstieg der Unsicherheit mit erheblichen Volatilitätsschüben an den Finanzmärkten.

Im März 2025 wies die Leistungsbilanz einen Überschuss von 51 Mrd. € auf (nach 41 Mrd. € im Vormonat).

Taucht ein in eine spannende Reise vom Studierenden zum Lehrbeauftragten bei an der Hochschule Deutschen Bundesbank!
 

It’s no secret that Germany loves cash. However, the pandemic and the new focus on hygiene showed that even in the Federal Republic, cashless payments can also be interesting for payments of less than €10. In Germany, just over 50 % of all payments are currently still settled using cash. In a few years’ time, it should also be possible to pay with the digital euro. Burkhard Balz, Executive Board member at the Deutsche Bundesbank, is jointly responsible for the digital currency project. On the fringes of the Ludwig-Erhard summit, he revealed in an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau what can be expected and why cash lovers actually have reason to be cheerful.

Am 22. April 2025 beschloss der EZB-Rat nach der jährlichen Überprüfung dieser Verzeichnisse, das Verzeichnis der von der EZB zugelassenen nicht geregelten Märkte und das Verzeichnis der von der EZB anerkannten Institutionen mit öffentlichem Förderauftrag, die für eine Teilnahme am Sicherheitenrahmen des Eurosystems zugelassen sind, unverändert zu belassen.

This year’s Bundesbank symposium “Banking supervision in dialogue” focused on geopolitical risks, artificial intelligence and streamlining bureaucracy. Bundesbank Executive Board member Michael Theurer believes it is important to have a nuanced debate on regulation in order to increase efficiency and reduce “red tape” without lowering standards. The industry meeting in Frankfurt was attended by around 450 supervisors and banking industry representatives.

Eleni worked in the Financial Stability Department during her internship. Read here how she views her time with us.

Das Brutto-Emissionsvolumen am deutschen Rentenmarkt lag im März mit 135,1 Mrd € nur leicht unter dem Wert des Vormonats (136,7 Mrd €). Nach Abzug der Tilgungen und bei Berücksichtigung der Eigenbestandsveränderungen der Emittenten wurden im Ergebnis heimische Rentenwerte für 26,0 Mrd € begeben. Zugleich stieg der Umlauf ausländischer Schuldtitel am deutschen Markt um 19,9 Mrd €. Damit erhöhte sich der Umlauf von Schuldverschreibungen in Deutschland im März um 45,9 Mrd €.

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €34.1 billion in March 2025, up €7.8 billion on the previous month’s level. This was attributable to larger surpluses in the goods account and especially in invisible current transactions, which comprises services as well as primary and secondary income. 

In a joint interview published by the Süddeutsche Zeitung of Germany and El Mundo of Spain, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel and Banco de España Governor José Luis Escrivá discussed the impact of current US policy on the global economy, ECB Governing Council decisions and Germany’s role in the EU. “The new German government has to contribute actively to the further development of the EU and Europe. And I agree with José Luis Escrivá that Germany has to play its part in leading the EU,” Nagel said.