Germany


Germany Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Germany; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankDeutsche Bundesbank
Germany is part of the Eurosystem and the European Central Bank
International ReservesUS$ 254.743 billion (Source: IMF; Data updated: November 2011)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 3.519 trillion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)3.048 trillion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
3.2%1.2%0%-0.2%1.2%0.8%3.4%2.7%
2008200920102011*
1%-4.7%3.5%2.5%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 43,205 (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$37,429 International Dollars (2010 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
6.68%6.15%5.15%3.96%3.47%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 0.9% 
  • industry: 26.8% 
  • services: 72.3% (2009 estimate)

    • (Data released on November 2010)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)2.64% (2008)

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
2.8%(2008)0.2%1.2%2.2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
7.3%7.5%6.9%(2009)6.6%

*Estimate

Household saving rates11.6% (Net saving; 2011 forecast)

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
64.9%66.4%73.5%80%80.1%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
0.2%0%-3.1%-4.5%-3.7%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: AAA/Stable/A-1+

Moody's rating: Aaa

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$2.106 trillionUS$1.108 trillionUS$1.298 trillion
Largest companies in GermanyAllianz (Diversified Insurance), Volkswagen Group (Auto & Truck Manufacturers), E.ON (Electric Utilities), Daimler (Auto & Truck Manufacturers), Siemens (Conglomerates), Deutsche Bank (Major Banks), BMW Group (Auto & Truck Manufacturers), BASF (Diversified Chemicals), Deutsche Telekom (Telecommunications services), RWE Group (Electric Utilities), Munich Re (Diversified Insurance)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 180.8 billion (2010 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP5.1% of GDP (2010 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

47.2% (2008)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export8.33%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export6.29%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$1.337 trillion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesmachinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles
Total importsUS$1.202 trillion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals
Exports - major partnersFrance 9.7%, US 7.5%, UK 7.3%, Italy 6.7%, Netherlands 6.4%, Austria 5.4%, Belgium 5.3%, Spain 5% (2007)
Imports - major partnersNetherlands 12%, France 8.6%, Belgium 7.8%, China 6.2%, Italy 5.8%, UK 5.6%, US 4.5%, Austria 4.4% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$4,218 millionUS$37,627 million(2009)US$46,134 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$77,142 millionUS$78,200 millionUS$104,857 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$61,340 millionUS$24,313 million(2009)US$7,138 million(2009)US$1,310 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

E ON AG, Endesa Italia, Italy, $14.3 billion
Fresenius SE, APP Pharmaceuticals Inc, United States, $5.6 billion
Systeme Anwendungen Produkte AG, Business Objects SA, United States, $5.5 billion
Henkel AG & Co KGaA, National Starch & Chemical Co., United States, $5.5 billion
Volkswagen AG, Scania AB, Sweden, $4.4 billion
Deutsche Telekom AG, Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA, Greece, $4.0 billion
E ON AG, Enel Viesgo SA, Spain, $3.2 billion

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

Merck KGaA, Millipore Corp, United States, $6.1 billion
(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 22 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 88 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 67 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 88 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 15 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 93 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 14 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 6 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		6

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 23 Score: 71.8 (Mostly Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+1
Total area 357,022 km2 (2006)
CapitalBerlin (2009)
Currencyeuros (EUR) (2009)
Government typefederal republic (2009)
LanguagesGerman
ReligionsProtestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
76.78 million78.89 million82.08 million81.6 million80.79 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
71.4%72.8%73.1%73.7%
Population median age42.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate-0.3% (2009)
Life expectancy79 years (2007)
Adult literacyN/A
% of population living on less than $2 a dayN/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

28.3 (2000)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:1
Civil Liberties:1 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

182.45% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population81.85% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Berlin: 84th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

9.5626 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE BANKS

2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Deutsche Bank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2010)
  • GLOBAL WINNER Deutsche Bank (Global, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2010)
2009:
  • GLOBAL WINNER Deutsche Bank (Global, 2009)
  • Global Winner / Best Strategy/Hedging Deutsche Bank (Global, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2009)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TREASURY & CASH MANAGEMENT BANKS & PROVIDERS

2011:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2011)
  • Best Provider of Money Market Funds DB Advisors (Western Europe, 2011)
  • Best Bank for Risk Management Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2011)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2011)
2010:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2010)
  • Best Bank for Risk Management Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2010)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2010)
2009:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2009)
  • Best Bank for Risk Management Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2009)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST DEVELOPED MARKET BANKS

2011:
  • Deutsche Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • Deutsche Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • Commerzbank (Europe, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST BANKS

2011:
  • Foreign Exchange Deutsche Bank (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • Foreign Exchange Deutsche Bank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST DERIVATIVES PROVIDERS

2010:
  • Best Credit Derivatives Provider Deutsche Bank (Europe, 2010)
  • Best FX Derivatives Provider Deutsche Bank (Europe, 2010)
  • Best Interest Rate Derivatives Provider Deutsche Bank (Europe, 2010)
2009:
  • Best FX Derivatives Provider Deutsche Bank (Europe, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S SAFEST BANKS

2011:
  • OVERALL SAFEST KfW (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landeskreditbank Baden- Wuerttemberg- Foerderbank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST NRW.Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Deutsche Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg (Global, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS KfW (Western Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Western Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Landeskreditbank Baden- Wuerttemberg- Foerderbank (Western Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS NRW.Bank (Western Europe, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL SAFEST KfW (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landeskreditbank Baden-Wuerttemberg - Foerderbank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST NRW.Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Deutsche Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg (Global, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS KfW (Western Europe, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Western Europe, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Landeskreditbank Baden- Wuerttemberg - Foerderbank (Western Europe, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS NRW.Bank (Western Europe, 2010)
2009:
  • OVERALL SAFEST KfW (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Landeskreditbank Baden-Wuerttemberg-Foerderbank (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST NRW. Bank (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Deutsche Bank AG (Global, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2011:
  • Best Debt Bank Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2011)
  • DEALS OF THE YEAR / Best Debt Deal Merck bond ($4.4 Billion) (Global, 2011)
  • DEALS OF THE YEAR / Lead Managers Commerzbank (Global, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • Best Investment Bank Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2010)
  • Best Debt Bank Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • Best Debt Bank Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2009)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2010:

WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS

2011:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Deutsche Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Commerzbank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST KfW (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST DZ Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Deutsche Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Commerzbank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST KfW (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST DZ Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Hypo Real Estate Holding (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Bayerische Landesbank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2011:
  • GLOBAL WINNERS Deutsche Bank (Global, 2011)
  • FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESEARCH & ANALYSIS/ Best Strategy/Hedging Deutsche Bank (Global, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Deutsche Bank (National, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Deutsche Bank (Western Europe, 2011)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE