OECD Economic Surveys: Germany 2018

Abstract

This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.

The economic situation and policies of Germany were reviewed at a meeting of the Economic and Development Review Committee on 23 April 2018. The draft was revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 30 May 2018.

The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by Andrés Fuentes Hutfilter, Naomitsu Yashiro, Stephanie Lehmann under the supervision of Asa Johansson. Statistical research was provided by Eun Jung Kim. Editorial assistance was provided by Dacil Kurzweg and Carolina González.

The previous Survey of Germany was issued in April 2016.

Basic statistics of Germany, 2017

(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE
Population (million)	81.5		Population density per km²2	230.9	(37.2)
Under 15 (%)	13.0	(17.9)	Life expectancy (years, 2015)	80.7	(80.5)
Over 65 (%)	21.6	(17.0)	Men	78.3	(77.9)
Foreign-born (%, 2015)	14.1		Women	83.1	(83.1)
Latest 5-year average growth (%)	0.3	(0.6)	Latest general election	September 2017
ECONOMY
Gross domestic product (GDP)			Value added shares (%)
In current prices (billion USD)	3,677.4		Primary sector	0.7	(2.4)
In current prices (billion EUR)	3 267.3		Industry including construction	30.6	(26.9)
Latest 5-year average real growth (%)	1.7	(2.1)	Services	68.7	(70.7)
Per capita (000 USD PPP)	50.7	(43.8)
GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Per cent of GDP
Expenditure2	43.9	(40.6)	Gross financial debt2	71.7	(110.2)
Revenue2	45.1	(37.7)	Net financial debt2	36.6	(71.2)
EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS
Exchange rate (EUR per USD)	0.885		Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)
PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)	0.785		Machinery and transport equipment	48.4
In per cent of GDP			Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.	15.3
Exports of goods and services	47.3	(55.0)	Manufactured goods	11.9
Imports of goods and services	39.7	(50.5)	Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)
Current account balance	8.1	(0.4)	Machinery and transport equipment	36.3
Net international investment position	62.9		Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.	13.6
			Miscellaneous manufactured articles	12.8
LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION
Employment rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)	75.3	(67.7)	Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)	3.7	(5.8)
Men	78.9	(75.4)	Youth (age 15-24, %)	6.8	(11.9)
Women	71.5	(60.1)	Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %, 2016)	1.7	(2.0)
Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%, 2016)	78.0	(71.7)	Tertiary educational attainment 25-64 year-olds (%, 2016)	28.3	(35.7)
Average hours worked per year (2016)	1 363	(1 763)	Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2016)	2.9	(2.3)
ENVIRONMENT
Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2015)	3.8	(4.1)	CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2015)	9.0	(9.2)
Renewables (%, 2015)	12.5	(9.6)	Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m3, 2013)	0.3
Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 g/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2015)	99.4	(75.2)	Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 20163)	0.6	(0.5)
SOCIETY
Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2014)	0.289	(0.311)	Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)
Relative poverty rate (%, 2014)	9.5	(11.3)	Reading	509	(493)
Median disposable household income (000 USD PPP, 2014)	26.2	(22.9)	Mathematics	506	(490)
Public and private spending (% of GDP)			Science	509	(493)
Health care (2016)	11.3	(9.0)	Share of women in parliament (%, 2016)	36.5	(28.7)
Pensions (2013)	10.1	(9.1)	Net official development assistance (% of GNI)	0.66	(0.38)
Education (primary, secondary, post sec. non tertiary, 2014)	3.1	(3.7)

1. Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

2. 2016 for the OECD aggregate.

3. 2015 for the OECD aggregate.

Source: Calculations based on data from the OECD, IEA, IMF, Inter-Parliamentary Union and World Bank.