The low-interest-rate environment continues to weigh heavily on small and medium-sized credit institutions in Germany. This was established by the latest survey on the profitability and resilience of German financial institutions in a low-interest-rate environment

The Bundesbank has completed its gold transfer process earlier than originally planned. After the gold in New York was able to be transferred ahead of schedule in 2016, roughly 91 tonnes of gold still remained in Paris. This was relocated to Frankfurt this year and as a result, there are no longer any German gold reserves in Paris.

In the first half of 2017, the Bundesbank registered approximately 39,700 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €2.2 million. The number of counterfeits rose by 8.7% compared with the second half of 2016. Statistically, this equates to around ten counterfeit banknotes per 10,000 inhabitants in Germany per year.

In the second quarter of 2017, German credit institutions adjusted their credit standards primarily by reducing margins. This is revealed by the latest Bank Lending Survey (BLS) conducted among banks domiciled in Germany.

At the end of the first quarter of 2017, households' financial assets amounted to €5,676 billion; this figure was up markedly, by just over €84 billion (1.5%), from the fourth quarter of 2016. The rise was predominantly attributable to the transaction-based acquisition of financial assets, which, at roughly €60 billion, was higher than in the preceding quarters.

The Deutsche Bundesbank calculates the basic rate of interest pursuant to section 247 (1) of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) and publishes its current level in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) pursuant to section 247 (2) of the German Civil Code.

The consolidation process in the German banking sector gained momentum last year. Over the course of 2016, the overall number of credit institutions (in Germany) fell by 72 to 1,888 institutions. This corresponds to a 3.7% decline in 2016 compared with a drop of 1.5% in 2015.

Germany’s primary direct investment stocks abroad (outward FDI) continued to rise in 2015. By contrast, the foreign direct investment stocks in Germany (inward FDI) fell slightly.

In the first quarter of 2017, German credit institutions eased their credit standards in some areas. This is revealed by the latest Bank Lending Survey (BLS) conducted among banks domiciled in Germany.

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.

Starting on Tuesday, the Deutsche Bundesbank will be issuing the new €50 banknotes. Following on from the €5, €10 and €20 notes, the €50 note is now the fourth denomination of the new "Europa" series to be brought into circulation in Germany.

General government debt in Germany as defined in the Maastricht Treaty fell by €18 billion in 2016 and amounted to roughly €2.140 trillion at the end of the year, €65 billion down on its peak in 2012.

The Deutsche Bundesbank and Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI) today jointly launched this year’s Global Money Week (GMW) under the motto "Learn.Save.Earn."