According to finalized data released Tuesday by the Statistical Federal Office (Destatis), Germany’s public aggregate budget accumulated a debt of €2.5105 trillion in the non-public sector at the end of 2024. This translates to a per capita debt of €30,062, an increase of €669 compared to the end of 2023. The non-public sector encompasses institutions and both domestic and foreign entities, including private companies both within and outside of Germany.
Public debt increased by 2.6 percent, or €63.4 billion, compared to the end of 2023. This rise was consistent across all types of regional government bodies, with the largest proportional increase observed in municipalities and municipal associations.
Federal debt stood at €1.7327 trillion at the end of 2024, representing a 2.1 percent increase and €35 billion in additional debt compared to the end of 2023. This equates to €20,748 per capita, up from €20,391 at the end of 2023.
State debt rose by 2.1 percent (€12.5 billion) to €607.3 billion in 2024. This marks the first increase in state debt compared to the previous year since 19 years, following a rise to €638.6 billion in 2021. The average state debt per capita in 2024 was €7,273, compared to €7,145 in 2023.
Per capita debt remained highest in the city-states, mirroring previous years. Bremen led with €33,934 per capita (€33,483 in 2023), followed by Hamburg at €17,571 (€17,642 in 2023) and Berlin at €18,173 (€17,155 in 2023). It’s noted that city-states fulfill municipal responsibilities in addition to their regional governance roles.
Among the federal states, Saarland had the highest per capita debt at €13,697 (€12,934 in 2023), followed by Schleswig-Holstein at €10,903 (€10,784 in 2023). Bavaria recorded the lowest per capita debt at €1,353 (€1,321 in 2023), followed by Saxony at €1,482 (€1,417 in 2023).
Municipal and municipal association debt continued its five-year consecutive rise, increasing by 10.3 percent (€15.9 billion) to €170.5 billion, resulting in a per capita debt of €2,206 compared to €2,005 in 2023.
North Rhine-Westphalia maintained the highest per capita debt among municipalities at €3,577 (€3,158 in 2023), followed by Hessian municipalities at €3,009 (€2,734 in 2023). Saarland’s municipalities and municipal associations followed, recording a per capita debt of €2,824 (€2,796 in 2023), despite relief measures.
Rhineland-Palatinate’s municipalities, previously among the most indebted, were no longer in the top three due to relief packages under the “Partnership for the Debt Relief of Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate” (PEK-RP) program. Their per capita debt was recorded at €2,388 in 2024, compared to €3,076 in 2023.
Brandenburg recorded the lowest per capita municipal debt at €581 (€556 in 2023), followed by Thuringia at €867 (€898 in 2023) and Saxony at €892 (€758 in 2023).
Social security debt stood at €0.12 per capita (€0.48 in 2023), with total debt decreasing by 73.9 percent to €10 million (€40 million in 2023).