In 2025, for the first time, people in Germany used cashless means of payment to pay for their day-to-day purchases more frequently than cash. According to the Bundesbank’s latest study on payment behaviour, 55 % of all recorded purchases were settled without cash in 2025. The trend towards cashless payments is continuing, explained Executive Board member Burkhard Balz at the presentation of the results.

The war in the Middle East is weighing on the German economy and will initially slow down the recovery that began in the winter half-year, the Bundesbank’s latest Forecast for Germany states. Nevertheless, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel is confident: Economic activity will gain traction again over our forecast horizon up to 2028, he said when presenting the Bundesbank’s new Forecast for Germany. The forecast projects that the inflation rate will rise to almost 3% in 2026 and 2027, only returning to just below 2% in 2028.

In April 2026, Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €13.8 billion, down €10.7 billion on the previous month’s level. This was attributable to lower surpluses in the goods account and in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income. 

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €23.6 billion in March 2026. This was €3.1 billion up on the previous month’s level. The goods account surplus decreased, but the surplus in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income, increased more strongly.

Commercial property prices in Germany increased by 2.1 % on the year in the first quarter of 2026. This means the rise that had begun in mid-2024 continued almost unchanged.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, households’ financial assets increased significantly, closing the year at €9,504 billion. This represents a rise of €148 billion on the previous quarter, with households increasing their assets by €78 billion and generating valuation gains of €70 billion.

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. 

General government debt in Germany increased by €144 billion in 2025 to €2.84 trillion. Central government debt, including its off-budget entities, grew by €107 billion. 

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €17.1 billion in January 2026, slightly down on the previous month’s level. Although the surplus in the goods account increased, the surplus in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income, declined slightly more sharply. 

The Bundesbank’s Executive Board has made a policy decision regarding the central bank’s future location: the Bundesbank is planning to buy a property in Frankfurt that will serve as the site of its Central Office. This decision was preceded by a cost-efficiency assessment conducted by the Bundesbank with external support. 

As expected, the Deutsche Bundesbank further reduced its loss for the year in 2025. In view of a significant improvement in profitability, the loss for the year fell by more than one-half compared with 2024 to €8.6 billion. 

The Bundesbank identified just under 68,000 counterfeit euro banknotes in German payments in 2025. This represented a 6.1 % decrease in counterfeit banknotes year on year. 

The Deutsche Bundesbank, 19 national central banks of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the European Central Bank (ECB), have today jointly launched Phase III of the EU-funded “Programme for Strengthening the Central Bank Capacities in the Western Balkans” with a view to the integration to the European System of Central Banks. 

German banks tightened their credit standards for loans to enterprises in the fourth quarter of 2025 to an extent not seen since 2023. This is revealed by the Bundesbank's most recent round of the Bank Lending Survey. The banks pointed to the renewed rise in credit risk as the reason for this tightening.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Deutsche Bundesbank today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding collaboration on cross-border digital asset settlement.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Deutsche Bundesbank today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding collaboration on cross-border digital asset settlement.

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €15.1 billion in November 2025, up €0.3 billion on the previous month’s level. Although the surplus in the goods account decreased, the swing to a surplus in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income, was slightly stronger.

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 German economy will make headway again in 2026: while progress will be subdued initially, it will then slowly pick up, said Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, presenting the Bundesbank’s new Forecast for Germany. According to the forecast, economic growth is being driven mainly by government spending and a resurgence in exports. The experts are expecting GDP growth in 2027 and 2028 as well.

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €14.8 billion in October 2025, down €1.0 billion on the previous month’s level. 

Cash or girocard payments remain the least expensive types of payment for retailers. According to the latest Bundesbank study The cost of payment methods in the retail sector, the average cost per cash payment amounts to only €0.43. In terms of the ratio of cost to turnover, the girocard is the most cost-effective method, at an average cost of 1 % of turnover.

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €8.3 billion in August 2025, down €7.3 billion on the previous month’s level. This was mainly caused by the smaller surplus in the goods account and the shift to a deficit in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income. 

Banknote circulation in Germany has a small environmental footprint. This is the result of a study commissioned by the Deutsche Bundesbank which examines the environmental impact of the issuance, distribution, use and disposal of euro banknotes.

The National Cash Forum is introducing new stickers to improve the visibility of cash as a payment method. A neutral sticker has been developed to complement the symbols for credit cards or other payment providers displayed in shop entrances, so that retailers can show that they accept cash payments

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Deutsche Bundesbank today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding collaboration on cross-border digital asset settlement.

In the second quarter of 2025, households’ financial assets increased significantly, closing the quarter at €9,216 billion. This represents a rise of €138 billion on the previous quarter. Households built up claims worth €69 billion and also recorded valuation gains of €69 billion.

At the end of 2024, Germany’s net external assets totalled €3,452 billion, thus amounting to around 80 % of the country’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP). Overall, both assets and liabilities vis-à-vis non-residents rose further in 2024. 

Germany’s current account posted a surplus of €14.8 billion in July 2025, down €2.3 billion on the previous month’s level. The surplus in the goods account increased, but there was a stronger decline in the balance of invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income.

The aim of the programme was to further strengthen the institutional capacities of the final beneficiary institutions, notably by enhancing their analytical and policy tools and by transferring the best international and European standards into national practices. The European Union (EU) allocated €3 million to the programme from its Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III).

Germany’s current account posted a surplus of €18.6 billion in June 2025, up €11.1 billion on the previous month’s level. This was mainly attributable to the swing to a surplus in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income. Moreover, the surplus in the goods account increased somewhat.

In the first half of 2025, the Bundesbank withdrew approximately 36,600 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of just under €2.1 million from circulation in Germany. The number of counterfeits rose by 8 % compared with the second half of 2024. However, the loss arising from counterfeiting remained unchanged.

In 2024, the number of payments made using cards issued by German payment service providers rose by 11 percent on the year. This resulted in around 13 billion transactions last year. 

In the first quarter of 2025, German households’ financial assets grew only slightly, closing the quarter at €9,053 billion. This represents a rise of €9 billion on the previous quarter. Households increased their claims by €90 billion, but suffered valuation losses of €82 billion.

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €9.6 billion in May 2025, virtually half the level seen in the preceding month. This was mainly attributable to the swing to a deficit in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income. There was also a somewhat smaller surplus in goods trading. 

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.

In April 2025, Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €23.5 billion, down €9.4 billion on the previous month’s level. This was attributable to smaller surpluses in the goods account and especially in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income.

The recovery of the German economy is being delayed by uncertainty surrounding international trade policy. Only gradually will economic activity be boosted by fiscal measures. The German economy will continue to tread water in the current year.

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 the fourth quarter of 2024, German households’ nominal financial assets grew by €136 billion, totalling €9,050 billion as at the end of the year. This is now the fifth increase in succession, continuing the growth streak that has been ongoing since the end of 2023. Households increased their claims by €79 billion and generated valuation gains of €57 billion.

The German current account recorded a surplus of €20.0 billion in February 2025, up €5.0 billion on the previous month’s level. The surplus in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income, declined slightly. However, the surplus in the goods account rose even more strongly.