(BERLIN) – Germany’s public debt rose to a record €2.662 trillion at the end of 2025, equating to €31,887 per resident, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office.
The figure represents a 6 percent increase, or €151.4 billion, compared with the end of 2024. Per capita debt climbed by €1,821 year on year, the statistics office reported, as cited by Handelsblatt.
The data covers obligations of the overall public budget to the non state sector, including credit institutions and private companies.
Federal government debt grew 6.2 percent to reach €1.840 trillion. Debt held by Germany’s federal states rose 2.9 percent to total €624.9 billion.
Jens Boysen Hogrefe, an economist at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, linked the increase in borrowing in part to additional defence spending. He said significant further debt growth should be expected, as extra expenditure on defence and debt servicing will create strong upward pressure.
“Despite initial savings measures, debt is likely to be higher again both this year and next year,” Boysen Hogrefe said.
Germany’s budget deficit for 2025 reached €127.3 billion, up by €22.9 billion from the year before. Total government revenues stood at approximately €2.081 trillion, while expenditures amounted to roughly €2.208 trillion.