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A BMW assembly line in Germany
Image: Sven Hoppe/picture alliance/dpa

German economy

Germany's economy is highly advanced and the largest in Europe. On a global scale it is the third-biggest. Germany's top-five exports are vehicles, machinery, chemical goods, electronic products and electrical equipment.

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All Content on this topic

New economics minister Karl-Theordor zu Guttenberg

New Economy Minister

Germany's new economy minister has been given the green light by the country's president.
February 10, 2009
An anguished trader at the Frankfurt stock exchange

Recession in Germany

Germany slumped into a recession for the first time in five years, data released Thursday showed.
November 13, 2008
Two construction workers in Frankfurt

Bad to Worse

Germany's economy is in for a long downturn with many companies hit hard by the global slowdown.
August 4, 2008
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, right, shakes hands with the German Economy Minister Michael Glos in Baghdad

German Economy Minister Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq

German Economy Minister Michael Glos held talks with Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Saturday, the first German cabinet minister to visit since the US-led invasion began.
July 12, 2008
Worker polishes Mercedes

Economic Worries

Figures reveal that the weak global economy may have begun to catch up with Germany.
July 10, 2008
Opinion

On a Roll

DW's Karl Zawadzky is upbeat about the German economy's ability to maintain its momentum.
May 16, 2008
Graph showing rising growth against a background of the German flag

Unexpected Growth

The German economy has proved more resilient than the analysts were expecting.
May 15, 2008
Opinion logo

Economic Enigmas

DW's Karl Zawadzky tries to piece together what's going on with the German economy these days.
February 29, 2008
a piggy bank in front of stock market rates

Financial Crisis

Global financial markets march to their own drum and ignore high-level politics, an economist said.
January 30, 2008
A stock dealer reacts in front of the German stock index (DAX) in Frankfurt

Rising Confidence

German business confidence surged amid hopes the economy will withstand a US slowdown.
January 24, 2008
Hand reaches into a cash register full of euro notes

Balanced Budget

Germany last year had a balanced budget for the first time in nearly 40 years. Not for long.
January 15, 2008
A construction worker in Berlin

Good Economic News

Top European executives say Germany is the most competitive economy in Europe.
January 2, 2008
A train cargo depot

Costly Strikes

Last week's rail strikes cost the German economy an estimated 75 million euros, a institute said.
November 18, 2007
A person types on a computer keyboard

Lack of Skilled Workers

A new study shows the German economy and certain sectors suffer due to a lack of specialists.
October 23, 2007

German economy booms

The unemployment rate is shrinking and the government coffers are filling up, but researchers are warning that the economic boom might come to a halt if the government does not adjust its economic policy.
September 24, 2007
Construction cranes above Dresden's skyline

Twenty More Years

Eastern Germany needs 20 years to catch up with the country's west, the government says.
September 20, 2007
opinion symbol graphic

A Cleansing Storm

DW's Rolf Wenkel says it seems unlikely the current global market crisis will turn apocalyptic.
August 20, 2007
An engineer works on a turbine at a Simens plant in Görlitz

Skills Shortage

A study warns that Germany's lack of skilled labor will cost it billions of euros this year.
August 20, 2007
A construction worker holding a metal plate

Business Confidence Falls

A strong euro and high oil prices have caused a slight drop in business confidence in Germany.
July 26, 2007

Hiring Now

Germany's jobless rate dipped further this month as the economy continues to perform robustly.
June 28, 2007

Consumer Confidence

Germans' willingness to shop is continuing to push the country's overall economic prosperity.
June 26, 2007

Lasting World Cup Boost

The German economy is continuing to be boosted by the 2006 World Cup, acording to a new study.
June 9, 2007

More Jobs to Go Around

Germany's ongoing economic boom has pushed down the jobless rate to a six-year low.
May 31, 2007

Just for Fun

Last summer's World Cup soccer fever hardly made any dent on economic growth in Germany.
April 21, 2007

Balancing the Budget

German think tanks predicted a balanced budget by 2008 in their spring report for the government.
April 19, 2007

Rosy Outlook

Germany's strong upswing has economists and the government revising their growth forecasts.
April 16, 2007

German Economy Grows

New data released by Germany’s Economics Ministry indicate that the country has entered a period of extended and sustained growth.
April 7, 2007

German Economy Booms

Experts said increased consumer spending will push Germany's economic growth and cut unemployment.
March 12, 2007

Spring Boost for Economy

Germany's economy is expected to get a boost this spring as inflation and unemployment dip.
March 1, 2007

Boom Time

The German economy grew 2.7 percent in 2006, the strongest performance in six years.
February 13, 2007
A man pointing his right arm up

A Short Breather

The German economy looks set to ease up briefly amid its current boom in the early months of 2007.
January 25, 2007

Back in Shape

After six years of financial stagnation, Germany booked its highest growth rate since 2000.
January 11, 2007

Powering Ahead

Germany's buoyant economy was further boosted by a fall in jobless numbers this week.
January 3, 2007

Good News for Germany

Germany's economic outlook for next year is extremely positive, says DW-RADIO's Karl Zawadzky.
December 27, 2006
The Deutsche Post Tower in Bonn

German Economy: Good Times Are Here Again

The German economy is experiencing a strong and stable upswing. It grew at the rate of 2.5 percent in 2006, which is more than anybody had hoped for at the beginning of the year. At present, business activity is so strong that the trend is going to continue well into 2007 – or that’s what Karl Zawadzky ventures to predict.
December 21, 2006
A woman is laden down with bags from luxury department stores

Economic Upswing

The Finance Ministry says that Germany can start waving goodbye to its economic woes
October 20, 2006

IMF Raises Prognosis for German Economy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has ramped up its forecast for the German economy. Europe's largest economy has been resilient in spite of high oil prices, but the IMF says hazards still lurk.
September 14, 2006

German economy

Germany’s annual budget is set to keep the country’s public deficit below the three percent limit set by the European Union’s Growth and Stability Pact for the first time in four years.
September 6, 2006

Growth in Germany Tops Five-Year High in Second Quarter

Warm weather, the World Cup, VAT increases in 2007 and swelling corporate profits are a few reasons why Germany's economy reached a record high last quarter. But experts aren't sure how long the boom can last.
August 14, 2006

World Cup Scores Goal for German Economy

Since the World Cup ended, host nation Germany has been counting the immediate economic benefits for businesses during the month-long event. It is also hoping the effects are long term.
July 11, 2006

German Business Survey Pushes Euro Up Against Dollar

The euro rose further against the dollar after a business- confidence survey confirmed the increasing strength of the German economy.
May 25, 2006

Forget the Title -- Germany Wants an Economic Boom

Germany's influential DIW economic research institute released a forecast that the World Cup would not significantly aid the country's economy. Yet Portugal's experience in 2004 was slightly different.
May 21, 2006

German Growth Fails to Meet Expectations

The German economy expanded modestly in the first three months of the year, after stagnating in the preceding three months, but growth nevertheless fell short of expectations, official data showed on Thursday.
May 11, 2006

EU Lifts Euro-Zone Growth Forecast With Help From Germany

The European Commission on Monday lifted its forecast for euro-zone growth this year to 2.1 percent from 1.9 percent previously, citing the growing strength of investments, exports and the German economy.
May 8, 2006

German Economy Gathers Steam, Institutes Revise Forecast

German economic performance is predicted to grow by 1.8 percent in 2006, the highest rate in six years, the country's six leading economic institutes said. But a wave of new jobs is not expected to accompany the upsurge.
April 27, 2006

Optimism and Growth Forecasts High for Germany in 2006

Germany, long seen as the sick man of Europe, is back on the road to health this year, even if plans to raise value-added tax in 2007 could mean the recovery will be short-lived, analysts said.
January 9, 2006
A month of soccer mania could result in lots of jobs

World Cup to Boost German Economy

A new study by the German Chamber of Commerce strikes an optimistic note by predicting that the World Cup will have a positive impact on Germany's economic growth.
January 4, 2006

World Cup to Boost German Economy

A new study by the German Chamber of Commerce strikes an optimistic note by predicting that the World Cup will have a positive impact on Germany's economic growth.
January 2, 2006

Experts Predict Sunnier Days Ahead For German Economy

Euro zone growth is gaining momentum amid surprisingly strong activity in Germany, the European Commission said Tuesday, a day after the Ifo research institute predicted unexpected levels of growth in the German economy.
December 20, 2005

Study: German Economy Set For World Cup Boost

Germany can look forward to a much-needed cash injection next summer when the FIFA 2006 World Cup circus rolls into town, according to a research study carried out by the Landesbank Rheinland-Pfalz (LRP).
December 4, 2005