Weak exports put a strain on the German economy. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the gross domestic product shrank by 0.2 percent to the previous quarter, as the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced and thus confirmed an initial estimate.
While the state and consumers: at the end of the year there were more money at the end of the year, exports fell significantly by 2.2 percent to the previous quarter. “The exports last recorded a stronger decline in the second quarter of 2020,” the statisticians wrote: inside.
In addition, the investments in equipment shrank for the fifth time in a row, while the investments in the construction grew thanks to mild weather.
The figures show how big the pressure on the future federal government is to get the economy going again quickly. Business associations are calling for lower energy prices and taxes as well as relief in bureaucracy.
The German economy is deep in the crisis. In 2024 the gross domestic product shrank 0.2 percent, the second year with a minus in a row. It is the longest recession for more than 20 years. For 2025, the federal government and leading economist await: at best, mini growth.