Government Performance

How key economic and social indicators changed under each government. Data from official statistical offices and international organizations.

Methodology note: KPI changes during a government term are shown as indicative context, not proof of causation. Economic outcomes are shaped by global trends, structural factors, and decisions made by prior governments. Use these figures to understand the context in which each government operated, not to assign unilateral credit or blame.

4 Governments covered

34 KPI data points

Current government — figures to date

Indicator	At start	At end	Change	Source
Unemployment rate ⓘ	6 % (2024)	6.3 % (2025)	▲ +0.3	Destatis
National debt (% GDP) ⓘ	62.2 % (2024)	63.5 % (2025)	▲ +1.3	Bundesbank
National debt (bn EUR) ⓘ	2693.8 billion EUR (2024)	2838.2 billion EUR (2025)	▲ +144.4	Bundesbank
GDP growth (real, annual) ⓘ	-0.2 % (2024)	0.2 % (2025)	▲ +0.4	Destatis
Inflation (CPI, annual avg.) ⓘ	2.2 % (2024)	2.2 % (2025)	≈ 0	Destatis
Healthcare spending (% GDP) ⓘ	11.8 % (2023)	12.3 % (2024)	▲ +0.5	OECD Health at a Glance 2025
Life expectancy (years) ⓘ	80.9 years (2023)	81.2 years (2024)	▲ +0.3	Eurostat / countryeconomy.com

Indicator	At start	At end	Change	Source
Unemployment rate ⓘ	5.7 % (2021)	6.3 % (2024)	▲ +0.6	Destatis
National debt (% GDP) ⓘ	67.9 % (2021)	62.5 % (2024)	▼ -5.4	Bundesbank
National debt (bn EUR) ⓘ	2501.7 billion EUR (2021)	2693.8 billion EUR (2024)	▲ +192.1	Bundesbank
GDP growth (real, annual) ⓘ	3.9 % (2021)	-0.2 % (2024)	▼ -4.1	Destatis
Inflation (CPI, annual avg.) ⓘ	3.1 % (2021)	2.2 % (2024)	▼ -0.9	Destatis
Education spending (% GDP) ⓘ	5.37 % (2021)	4.54 % (2022)	▼ -0.83	UNESCO / World Bank (via tra…
Healthcare spending (% GDP) ⓘ	13.2 % (2021)	11.8 % (2023)	▼ -1.4	Destatis / OECD
Life expectancy (years) ⓘ	80.7 years (2021)	80.9 years (2023)	▲ +0.2	Eurostat / countryeconomy.com
PISA mathematics score ⓘ	500 PISA score points (2018)	475 PISA score points (2022)	▼ -25	OECD PISA

Indicator	At start	At end	Change	Source
Unemployment rate ⓘ	5.2 % (2018)	5.7 % (2021)	▲ +0.5	Destatis
National debt (% GDP) ⓘ	60.8 % (2018)	67.9 % (2021)	▲ +7.1	Bundesbank
National debt (bn EUR) ⓘ	2086.4 billion EUR (2018)	2501.7 billion EUR (2021)	▲ +415.3	Bundesbank (via countryecono…
GDP growth (real, annual) ⓘ	1.1 % (2018)	3.9 % (2021)	▲ +2.8	Destatis
Inflation (CPI, annual avg.) ⓘ	1.9 % (2018)	3.1 % (2021)	▲ +1.2	Destatis
Education spending (% GDP) ⓘ	4.99 % (2018)	5.37 % (2021)	▲ +0.38	UNESCO / World Bank (via ind…
Healthcare spending (% GDP) ⓘ	11.7 % (2018)	13.2 % (2021)	▲ +1.5	Destatis (SHA methodology)
Life expectancy (years) ⓘ	80.9 years (2018)	80.7 years (2021)	▼ -0.2	Eurostat / WHO (via countrye…
PISA mathematics score ⓘ	506 PISA score points (2015)	500 PISA score points (2018)	▼ -6	OECD PISA

Indicator	At start	At end	Change	Source
Unemployment rate ⓘ	6.9 % (2013)	5.7 % (2017)	▼ -1.2	Destatis
National debt (% GDP) ⓘ	77.5 % (2013)	64 % (2017)	▼ -13.5	Bundesbank / Eurostat (via c…
National debt (bn EUR) ⓘ	2220.3 billion EUR (2013)	2132.8 billion EUR (2017)	▼ -87.5	Bundesbank / Eurostat (via c…
GDP growth (real, annual) ⓘ	0.3 % (2013)	2.8 % (2017)	▲ +2.5	Destatis
Inflation (CPI, annual avg.) ⓘ	1.5 % (2013)	1.8 % (2017)	▲ +0.3	Destatis
Education spending (% GDP) ⓘ	4.94 % (2013)	4.88 % (2017)	▼ -0.06	UNESCO Institute for Statist…
Healthcare spending (% GDP) ⓘ	11 % (2013)	11.5 % (2017)	▲ +0.5	Destatis / OECD (SHA methodo…
Life expectancy (years) ⓘ	80.6 years (2013)	81 years (2017)	▲ +0.4	Eurostat / WHO (via countrye…
PISA mathematics score ⓘ	514 PISA score points (2012)	506 PISA score points (2015)	▼ -8	OECD PISA

Data caveats (10)

Unemployment figures use the BA/ILO definition (arbeitslose in % der zivilen Erwerbspersonen) from Destatis long-run series. A second Destatis series (registered unemployed only) gives slightly higher figures; the ILO-concept series is used here as it aligns with international comparisons.
National debt figures for 2013-2017 are from countryeconomy.com (sourced from Bundesbank/Eurostat EDP notifications); Bundesbank press releases directly confirm 2017-2025. Minor rounding differences exist between Bundesbank press releases due to national accounts revisions (2022 revision raised 2021 figure from 69.3% to 67.9% after GDP revision).
Real GDP growth figures for 2013-2015 are from Destatis press release PE16_014_811; 2016-2025 are from Destatis press release PE26_017_811 (2025 GDP flash). Different vintages of Destatis data show minor revisions (e.g., 2021 shown as 3.9% in PE26 vs 3.7% in PE25, 2022 as 1.8% in PE26 vs 1.9% in PE23 — likely due to the 2024 major European national accounts revision).
Education spending: UNESCO/World Bank Government Expenditure on Education series (SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS). Data for 2019+ not available in UNESCO/World Bank series (latest available: 2018). OECD Education at a Glance 2025 (EaG) uses 2022 reference data (4.4% primary-tertiary, OECD definition); UNESCO/World Bank figure for 2022 is 4.54%. These differ because OECD EaG covers institutional expenditure while UNESCO series covers total government expenditure. Years 2019-2021 show elevated values (5.0-5.5%) due to COVID-era GDP contraction increasing the ratio.
Healthcare spending: Destatis SHA-methodology figures for 2015 (11.3%), 2017 (est.), 2018 (11.7%), 2021 (13.2%), 2022 (12.6%), 2023 (11.8%), 2024 (12.3% OECD). The 2013 figure is estimated from the 2015 figure and the known 2.5% per-annum real growth 2013-2018; no direct Destatis press release for 2013 was found. OECD Health at a Glance 2025 reports 12.3% for latest available year (2023 data).
Life expectancy data from countryeconomy.com (sourcing Eurostat/WHO). Destatis publishes by sex separately; total is derived. Note Eurostat reports 81.1 years for 2023 while countryeconomy.com shows 80.9 years — minor methodological differences.
PISA scores: OECD cycles are 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022. Terms are mapped to nearest cycle. Germany 2012=514, 2015=506, 2018=500, 2022=475 (mathematics). The 2015 score of 506 is widely cited; confirmed by OECD sources noting a 25-point drop between 2015 and 2018.
Merz government (2025-) data is partial/preliminary as of July 2026. GDP growth 2025 is Destatis flash estimate. Debt 2025 is Bundesbank March 2026 press release. Inflation 2025 is Destatis final annual figure (+2.2%). Unemployment 2025 is Destatis latest annual (6.3% ILO-concept or 6.8% registered; ILO used here).
National debt in billion EUR for 2013-2016 from countryeconomy.com (sources: Bundesbank/Eurostat); 2017-2025 from Bundesbank press releases (2024 press release for 2017-2024; 2025 press release for 2025).
Inflation 2013 (1.5%) from rateinflation.com historical series; consistent with Destatis publications of that period noting rates fell from ~2% in 2012 to below 2% in 2013-2016.

Government Performance

Merz (CDU/CSU-SPD)

Scholz (SPD-Grüne-FDP)

Merkel IV (CDU/CSU-SPD)

Merkel III (CDU/CSU-SPD)