Germany

text

As Europe's largest economy and second most-populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating world wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key western economic and security organizations, including the EC (now the EU) and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War allowed German reunification to occur in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

text

Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

text

51 00 N, 9 00 E

text

Europe

text

three times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Montana

text

2,389 km

text

temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

text

lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south

text

coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

text

5,065 sq km (2020)

text

Donau (Danube) river source (shared with Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Elbe river mouth (shared with Czechia [s]) - 1,252 km; Rhein (Rhine) (shared with Switzerland [s], France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km <br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

text

second most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far-western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia

text

flooding

text

strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea; most major rivers in Germany -- the Rhine, Weser, Oder, Elbe -- flow northward; the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest, flows eastward

text

German 85.4%, Turkish 1.8%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Syrian 1.1%, Romanian 1%, Poland 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.3% (2022 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong>  data represent population by nationality

text

Roman Catholic 24.8%, Protestant 22.6%, Muslim 3.7%, other 5.1%, none 43.8% (2022 est.)

text

-0.13% (2025 est.)

text

8.87 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

11.96 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

1.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

second most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far-western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia

text

3.574 million BERLIN (capital), 1.788 million Hamburg, 1.576 million Munich, 1.144 million Cologne, 796,000 Frankfurt (2023)

text

29.9 years (2020 est.)

text

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

text

1.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

text

0.77 (2025 est.)

text

4.53 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

text

7.8 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

text

22.3% (2016)

text

0.6% (2016 est.)

text

54.4% (2023 est.)

text

air pollution and acid rain from coal-burning utilities and industries; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial effluents; hazardous waste disposal

text

temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

text

10.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

text

154 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

text

federal parliamentary republic

text

16 states (<em>Laender</em>, singular - <em>Land</em>); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen (Hesse), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia)

note

<strong>note:</strong> Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (<em>Freistaaten</em>, singular - <em>Freistaat</em>), while Bremen calls itself a Free Hanseatic City (<em>Freie Hansestadt</em>) and Hamburg considers itself a Free and Hanseatic City (<em>Freie und Hansestadt</em>)

text

civil law system

text

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

text

18 years of age; universal; age 16 for some state and municipal elections

note

<strong>note:</strong> due to Germany's recognition of the concepts of "overhang" (when a party's share of the nationwide votes would entitle it to fewer seats than the number of individual constituency seats won in an election under Germany's mixed member proportional system) and "leveling" (whereby additional seats are elected to supplement the members directly elected by each constituency in order to ensure that each party's share of the total seats is roughly proportional to the party's overall shares of votes at the national level), the 20th Bundestag is the largest to date

note

<strong>note 1:</strong> total seats can vary each electoral term; currently includes 4 seats for independent members; approximately one-half of members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and approximately one-half directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members' terms vary depending on the states they represent<br><strong><br>note 2:</strong> the 20th Bundestag is the largest to date, due to Germany's recognition of "overhang" (when a party's share of the nationwide votes would entitle it to fewer seats than the number of individual constituency seats won in an election) and "leveling" (when additional seats are elected to supplement the members directly elected in order to ensure that each party's share of the total seats is roughly proportional to its overall share of votes at the national level)

text

Alliance '90/Greens <br>Alternative for Germany or AfD <br>Christian Democratic Union or CDU <br>Christian Social Union or CSU <br>Free Democratic Party or FDP <br>Free Voters or FW<br>The Left or Die Linke <br>Social Democratic Party or SPD

text

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

text

18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 after World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990, with all four powers formally relinquishing rights on 15 March 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)

text

German Unity Day, 3 October (1990)

text

<strong>description:</strong> three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold<br><br><strong>history:</strong> the colors can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor -- a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field

text

eagle

text

black, red, yellow

text

Germany’s coat of arms is the world’s oldest, said to date back to 1200, and uses the country’s national colors; it features the oldest European national symbol, an eagle known as the <em>Bundesadler</em> (Federal Eagle); the coat of arms has varied over time for military or political reasons, but the eagle has always been part of the design; the Federal Republic of Germany adopted this version in 1950

text

<p>leading export-driven, core EU and eurozone economy; key automotive, chemical, engineering, finance, and green energy industries; growth stalled by energy crisis and declining exports; tight labor market with falling working-age population; fiscal rebalancing with phaseout of energy price supports</p>

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

text

$4.66 trillion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

text

milk, sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, barley, maize, rapeseed, pork, rye, triticale (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

text

<p>iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles</p>

text

-3% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

text

43.772 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

text

14.8% (2021 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

note

<strong>note:</strong> general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; the series are presented as a percentage of GDP and in millions of euros; GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product at current market prices; data expressed in national currency are converted into euro using end-of-year exchange rates provided by the European Central Bank

text

11% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

text

USA 10%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, China 7%, Italy 6% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

text

cars, vehicle parts/accessories, packaged medicine, plastic products, vaccines (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

text

China 12%, Netherlands 7%, USA 7%, Poland 6%, France 5% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

text

cars, vehicle parts/accessories, garments, natural gas, vaccines (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

text

a mix of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; 70 national and regional public broadcasters compete with nearly 400 privately owned national and regional TV stations; more than 90% of households have cable or satellite TV; hundreds of radio stations, including national and regional networks and a large number of local stations

text

.de

text

D

text

840 (2025)

text

449 (2025)

note

15 km 0.900-mm gauge, 24 km 0.750-mm gauge (2015)

text

Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): German Army (Deutsche Heer), German Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm), German Air Force (Deutsche Luftwaffe, includes air defense), Cyber and Information Space (Cyber und Informationsraum) (2025)

note

<strong>note:</strong> responsibility for internal and border security is shared by the police forces of the 16 states, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and the Federal Police; the states’ police forces report to their respective interior ministries while the Federal Police forces report to the Federal Ministry of the Interior

text

approximately 185,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

text

the inventory of Federal Armed Forces is comprised of weapons systems produced domestically or jointly with other European countries and Western imports, particularly from the US; Germany's defense industry is capable of manufacturing the full spectrum of air, land, and naval military weapons systems; it also participates in joint defense production projects with European partners and the US (2025)

text

17-23 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (must have completed compulsory full-time education and have German citizenship); service obligation 7-23 months or 12 years (2025)

note

<strong>note 1: </strong>conscription ended in 2011; in 2020, the German Government launched a new voluntary conscript initiative focused on homeland security tasks, with the volunteers serving for 7 months plus 5 months as reservists over a 6-year period<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> in December 2025, Germany passed a law reforming military service; from 2026, the new regulations require German males residing in Germany who have reached the age of 18 to complete a questionnaire, including questions about their willingness to serve; participation will remain voluntary for women<br><strong><br>note 3:</strong> women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001; in 2025, they accounted for more than 13% of the active-duty German military

text

up to 500 Iraq (NATO); 300 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR), Lebanon 170 (UNIFIL); up to 1,700 Lithuania (NATO) (2025)

note

<strong>note: </strong>the German military also has air and naval contingents deployed to support NATO missions

text

the Bundeswehr’s core mission is the defense of Germany and its NATO partners; it has a wide range of peacetime duties, including crisis management, cyber security, deterrence, homeland security, humanitarian and disaster relief, and international peacekeeping and stability operations; as a key member of NATO and the EU, the Bundeswehr typically operates in a coalition environment, and its capabilities are largely based on NATO and EU planning goals and needs; it has participated in a range of NATO and EU missions in Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as global maritime operations; the Bundeswehr has close bilateral defense ties with a number of EU countries, including the Czechia, France, the Netherlands, and Romania, as well as the UK and the US; it also contributes forces to UN peacekeeping missions<br><br>the Bundeswehr was established in 1955; at the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, it had nearly 600,000 personnel, over 7,000 tanks, and 1,000 combat aircraft; in addition, over 400,000 soldiers from other NATO countries—including about 200,000 US military personnel—were stationed in West Germany; in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the Bundeswehr shrank by more than 60% in size (over 90% in tanks and about 80% in aircraft), while funding fell from nearly 3% of GDP and over 4% of government spending in the mid-1980s to 1.2% and 1.6% respectively; by the 2010s, the Bundeswehr’s ability to fulfill its regional security commitments had deteriorated; the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale assault on Ukraine in 2022 led to renewed emphasis on Germany’s leadership role in European defense and NATO and efforts to boost funding for the Bundeswehr to improve readiness, modernize, and expand (2025)

text

German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR; established 1997) (2025)

note

<strong>note:</strong> DLR's predecessor organization, the German Test and Research Institute for Aviation and Space Flight, was established in 1969; the Federal Republic of Germany was allowed to research space flight after gaining sovereignty in 1955

text

a commercial offshore launch platform that will operate from the North Sea is under development with both government and private funding (2025)

text

has one of Europe&rsquo;s largest space programs and is a top contributor to the ESA; builds and operates satellites, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), probes, and unmanned orbiters; researches and develops a range of capabilities and technologies, including reusable space planes, satellite payloads, rockets, propulsion-assisted landing technologies, and aeronautics; participates in EU and ESA programs, including the Cassini-Huygens research mission to Saturn, Mars and Venus exploration missions, and the Galileo global navigation satellite system; participates in ESA&rsquo;s astronaut training program and human space flight operations; hosts the European Astronaut Center; participates in international programs such as the International Space Station (ISS) and the James Webb Space Telescope; hosts mission control centers for the ISS, the ESA, and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT); has ties to foreign space programs, including those of China, Japan, Russia, and the US; has a robust commercial space sector&nbsp; (2025)

text

1969 - first German scientific satellite (Azur) launched by US<br><br>1973 - participated with other European states, particularly France and the UK, in development of Ariane satellite launch vehicle<br><br>1978 - first German in space on Soviet Salyut space station<br><br>1980s-1990s - participated in US Space Shuttle program, including providing astronauts<br><br>1999 - launched a space-based X-ray telescope (ABRAXIS) on Russian rocket<br><br>2005 - began development of reusable space plane/shuttle/transporter<br><br>2019 - launched first space-based X-ray telescope (eROSITA) capable of imaging the entire sky (joint project with Russia)<br><br>2023 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for the exploration of space and the Moon; adopted a new national space strategy

text

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida

note

<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide