At the end of the fourth quarter of 2016, households' financial assets amounted to €5,586 billion; this figure was up markedly by €98 billion (or 1.8%) from the third quarter of 2016. The increase owed partly to substantial valuation gains of just over €53 billion on financial assets, in particular on equities and investment fund shares.

The global economy has rebounded surprisingly strongly and quickly from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) writes in its Annual Economic Report. A timely, forceful and concerted policy drive on the part of monetary, fiscal and prudential authorities was able to prevent the worst. However, the report explains, recovery has been very uneven across countries and economic sectors. Furthermore, the pandemic has exacerbated income and wealth inequality.

The German current account recorded a surplus of €30.2 billion in March 2021, up €11.5 billion on the previous month’s level. This was due to a considerable increase in the surplus on invisible current transactions, which comprise not only services but also primary and secondary income, as well as that in the goods account.