International trade in services refers to the exchange of intangible services such as financial services, tourism or IT between countries. Unlike in goods trade, no physical goods are exchanged. Globalisation, technological developments and the opening-up of markets have greatly increased its importance.

On this page you will find relevant code lists on reports in external sector.

German enterprises constitute net debtors vis-à-vis non-residents: Standing at €1831 billion at the end of May 2026, their liabilities arising from financial operations and trade credits, exceeded their corresponding assets of €1539 billion by €292 billion. Compared with the previous month, this is a change of €27 billion.

Financial operations with foreign non-banks are of particular importance here, while those with foreign banks play a secondary role. The first group accounts for 71 % of claims and 82 % of liabilities. At 20 % and 16 % respectively, the share of trade credits in these total figures remains comparatively small.

On the occasion of the 100th birthday of the German balance of payments, an anniversary volume was published by Springer-Verlag, which can also be downloaded free of charge at the following link.

The statistics on services by mode of supply provide information on how the service was provided. A distinction is made between four categories.

The statistics on services trade by enterprise characteristics enable a sound assessment of enterprises involved in international trade in services. They provide a valuable foundation for economic policy decisions and analyses.

Germany's economic ties with other countries are reflected in various foreign trade statistics. The country profiles summarize all foreign trade statistics for selected countries to facilitate the analysis of these relationships.