German economic output rose significantly in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the Monthly Report. Growth towards the end of the year was primarily driven by private and government consumption. Households probably also benefited from strong wage growth. Industry grew its production and construction output rose significantly. According to the experts, there is no sign of any short-term trend reversal for the better in the labour market. The inflation rate stood at around 2 % at the turn of the year.

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.

Once a year, teachers are invited to the Bundesbank to talk about current central banking issues. Lutz Lienenkämper, the Executive Board member whose responsibilities include economic education, conferred with teachers about financial literacy in schools, the current stance of monetary policy and the digital euro.

The German banking sector is currently stable overall, with sound capital and liquidity buffers – that’s good news, Bundesbank Executive Board member Michael Theurer stressed at the digital supervisory briefing, an event organised by the Bundesbank and BaFin. Together with Annika Sattler from the Bundesbank, Theurer and BaFin Chief Executive Director Nikolas Speer spoke about the risk situation, simplification and proportionality. Participants from the worlds of banking and supervision numbered more than 5,000 at times during the digital supervisory briefing, which was streamed live.