Germany’s public sector recorded a financial wealth of €1,134.2 billion at the end of 2024, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Monday. This figure represents a decrease of 2.0 percent, or €22.6 billion, compared to the year-end results of 2023.
The public sector encompasses the budgets of the federal government, states (Länder), municipalities and special-purpose associations, as well as social security institutions, including all extra-budgetary bodies. The non-public sector includes credit institutions and other domestic and foreign entities, such as private companies both within and outside of Germany.
The federal government’s financial wealth declined by 2.4 percent, equating to €10.6 billion, to €435.0 billion. This development is primarily linked to the continued reduction of portfolios managed by the FMS Wertmanagement resolution agency.
The financial wealth of the states experienced a decrease of 0.3 percent, or €1.0 billion, to €281.8 billion. Performance varied considerably among the individual states. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (+22.7 percent), Saxony (+11.0 percent) and Brandenburg (+10.8 percent) registered the largest proportional increases. The rise in Saxony is attributable to increased holdings within the state’s generational fund. Conversely, Saxony-Anhalt (-15.3 percent), Bremen (-14.8 percent) and Lower Saxony (-12.9 percent) saw the most significant proportional declines.
Municipalities and special-purpose associations maintained a largely unchanged financial wealth of €246.9 billion, a marginal increase of €15.6 million (+0.0 percent) compared to the previous year.
Saxony-Anhalt (+7.0 percent), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (+6.3 percent) and Rhineland-Palatinate (+4.4 percent) demonstrated the largest proportional increases within the municipal sector. Conversely, Schleswig-Holstein (-3.5 percent), Bavaria (-2.8 percent) and Baden-Württemberg (-1.7 percent) recorded the largest proportional decreases.
The social security sector concluded 2024 with a financial wealth of €170.3 billion relative to the non-public sector, reflecting a decrease of €11.1 billion, or 6.1 percent, according to Destatis.
