In an interview with the Slovenian newspaper Delo, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel expresses optimism about Germany's economic future and discusses current monetary policy challenges and the digital euro.

Scientific study on the expectations of firms in Germany

Statutory basis, implementation provisions, Bundesbank notices and circulars

Germany’s Statistics on International Trade in Services are collected by the Deutsche Bundesbank in order to compile Germany’s Balance of Payments Statistics and serve as the basis for the research data set Statistics on International Trade in Services (SITS).

In spite of ongoing strains and additional headwinds as a result of the war in the Middle East, real gross domestic product (GDP) is likely to have increased slightly in the first quarter of 2026 after seasonal adjustment, says the Bundesbank in its April Monthly Report. Nonetheless, industry is suffering from structural barriers to growth, which are undermining its competitive position. Furthermore, the significant rise in fuel prices in March has weighed heavily on households’ purchasing power. The Bundesbank’s experts anticipate that inflation will remain significantly elevated over the coming months as well.

The German current account recorded a surplus of €20.0 billion in February 2026. This was €3.9 billion up on the previous month’s level. 

Merchants are not just participants in the digital euro project – they are its driving force, said Executive Board member Burkhard Balz during an event in Brussels. Representatives from politics, business and trade discussed the opportunities and challenges presented by a digital euro during the conference entitled The digital €uro: a game changer for European merchants.