Press release No. 418 of 25 November 2025
Gross domestic product (GDP), 3rd quarter of 2025
0.0% on the previous quarter (price, seasonally and calendar adjusted)
+0.3% on the same quarter a year earlier (price adjusted)
+0.3% on the same quarter a year earlier (price and calendar adjusted)
WIESBADEN – The gross domestic product (GDP) stagnated in the 3rd quarter of 2025 (0.0%) compared with the 2nd quarter of 2025 after adjustment for price, seasonal and calendar variations. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports that this confirms the result published in the first release of 30 October 2025. “Weak exports had a dampening effect on economic activity in the 3rd quarter, while capital formation increased slightly," says Ruth Brand, President of the Federal Statistical Office.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | 4th qtr | 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | 4th qtr | 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr |
| -0.5 | -0.1 | 0.0 | -0.3 | -0.1 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
Gross fixed capital formation in machinery and equipment up from previous quarter, decline in exports
After registering a decline in the previous quarter, gross fixed capital formation increased again in the 3rd quarter of 2025 (+0.3%) after price, seasonal and calendar adjustment. Gross fixed capital formation in machinery and equipment was up 1.1% on the previous quarter. This is also reflected by a positive development of commercial new registrations of passenger cars. By contrast, gross fixed capital formation in construction dropped by 0.5% from the previous quarter.
Overall, final consumption expenditure stagnated in the 3rd quarter of 2025 compared with the 2nd quarter of 2025 (0.0%). Diverging trends were recorded for household and government final consumption expenditure. Household consumption expenditure declined for the first time since the 4th quarter of 2023 (-0.3%). This was in part due to the fact that households spent less on food and beverage service activities and accommodation services. By contrast, government final consumption expenditure increased again (+0.8% on the previous quarter).
Foreign trade did not make a positive contribution here. In the 3rd quarter of 2025, total exports of goods and services were down 0.7% from the 2nd quarter of 2025, after price, seasonal and calendar adjustment. Goods exports dropped only slightly by 0.1%, whereas exports of services were markedly down (-2.6%), including fees for the use of intellectual property, such as licence fees for selling software and franchise fees, as well as maintenance and repair services. Imports of goods and services remained at the level of the previous quarter (0.0%), with imports of goods up 0.9% and imports of services down 1.9%.
Development of gross value added differed across economic sectors
Overall, gross value added increased slightly by 0.1% in the 3rd quarter of 2025 compared with the 2nd quarter of 2025, after adjustment for price, seasonal and calendar variations. Diverging trends were recorded for the economic sectors. The biggest decline was seen in manufacturing (-0.9%), with economic performance down quarter on quarter in many areas. Increases were observed in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products and electrical equipment compared with the previous quarter. Production in construction dropped again (-0.6%) in the 3rd quarter of 2025. In the service branches, however, gross value added was up in the 3rd quarter of 2025, except business services (-0.1%) and other services (0.0%). The largest quarter-on-quarter increases were recorded in information and communication (+0.8%) and trade, transport, accommodation and food services (+0.7%).
Gross domestic product increased year on year
GDP in the 3rd quarter of 2025 was up a price adjusted 0.3% compared with the 3rd quarter of 2024. GDP was also up 0.3% after price and calendar adjustment.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | 4th qtr | 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | 4th qtr | 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr |
| 0.0 | -1.1 | -1.3 | -1.0 | -1.1 | -0.3 | -0.2 | -0.4 | 0.0 | -0.1 | 0.3 |
Household and government final consumption expenditure higher than in the previous year
As in the previous quarters, price adjusted final consumption expenditure in the 3rd quarter of 2025 was up compared with the same quarter a year earlier. It increased by 1.1%. Final consumption expenditure of both households and government showed a positive trend. The rise in the final consumption expenditure of households was mainly attributable to higher motor vehicle expenditure (+0.8%). Government final consumption expenditure increased by 1.7%, which was in part due to the provision of more social benefits in kind. By contrast, price-adjusted gross fixed capital formation in machinery and equipment dropped by 1.0% compared with the 3rd quarter of 2024. Gross fixed capital formation in construction also declined on the same quarter a year earlier (-0.7%). The main reason was the continuing decline of gross fixed capital formation in the field of housing construction. However, capital formation in other buildings and structures such as factories or office buildings was up compared with the same period a year earlier. Overall, domestic uses rose by 1.6% year on year.
Developments in foreign trade in the 3rd quarter of 2025 were similar to those of previous quarters. Exports were down while imports were up. Exports (price adjusted) fell slightly by 0.1% from the same quarter of 2024. While exports of goods declined (-0.2%), exports of services were higher (+0.3%) than in the same period a year earlier. Imports of goods and services continued to increase substantially (+3.4%), with imports of goods (+5.4%) markedly up on a year earlier. This was mainly attributable to higher imports of pharmaceutical products, metal products and electrical equipment. By contrast, imports of services dropped by 1.0%, which was due, at least in part, to lower expenditures for manufacture, maintenance and repair as well as transport services provided from abroad.
Increase in the service branches compared with the same quarter a year earlier, strong decrease in the construction industry
On the whole, price adjusted gross value added in the 3rd quarter of 2025 was up 0.3% on the 3rd quarter of 2024, with economic performance in the service sector rising by 0.6%. Price adjusted gross value added in the 3rd quarter of 2025 was up in the aggregate sectors of public services, education, health (+1.9%) and trade, transport, accommodation and food services (+0.9%), in particular. The economic performance was also up in the information and communication sector (+1.0) compared with the same quarter a year earlier. By contrast, year-on-year decreases were recorded for financial and insurance activities (-3.0%), other service activities (-0.7%) and business services (-0.6%).
The downward trend observed in manufacturing and the construction industry continued. Due to a decrease of 3.0% in price adjusted gross value added, performance in the construction industry was again significantly lower than a year earlier. While building construction and building completion work continued to contract in the 3rd quarter of 2025, increases in production were observed for civil engineering compared with the previous year. The manufacturing sector once again faced a year-on-year decrease in gross value added (-0.3%), which, however, was considerably less pronounced than in the previous quarters. In the 3rd quarter of 2025, performance in the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products and the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers was lower than the previous year's level, in particular. By contrast, the manufacture of electrical equipment increased.
Employment almost unchanged
The economic performance in the third quarter of 2025 was achieved by roughly 46.0 million persons in employment whose place of employment was in Germany. This represented a decrease of 23,000 (0.0%) compared with the 3rd quarter of 2024. The declines registered in manufacturing and the construction industry could not be offset by employment increases in the service sector (see press release no. 410 of 18 November 2025) (only in German).
On average, the number of hours worked per person in employment was roughly the same as in the 3rd quarter of 2024 (0.0%). The labour volume of the overall economy - the number of persons in employment multiplied by the number of hours worked per person in employment - also remained almost unchanged (0.0%). This is shown by provisional calculations of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency.
Overall labour productivity (price adjusted GDP per hour worked by persons in employment) rose by 0.3% from the 3rd quarter of 2024, according to provisional calculations. Labour productivity per person in employment was 0.4% higher year on year.
Consumption rose more sharply than income, savings ratio down on the previous year
At current prices, GDP in the 3rd quarter of 2025 grew by 3.4% and gross national income increased by 3.5% compared with a year earlier. Net national income at factor costs was up 3.7% on the 3rd quarter of 2024. According to provisional calculations, overall compensation of employees rose by 5.4%. By contrast, property and entrepreneurial income dropped by 0.7%. Average gross wages and salaries per employee were up 5.1% in the 3rd quarter of 2025 compared with the same quarter a year earlier. The increase in net average earnings (+4.7%) was less pronounced due to markedly higher social contributions of employees.
As household final consumption expenditure (+3.4%) increased more than overall household income (+2.6%) year on year, the savings ratio dropped slightly to 9.6%. In the 3rd quarter of 2024, it was 10.4%.
Germany's economy compared with other countries
At the start of the second half of the year, Germany’s economic performance was lower than that of many other countries. The biggest GDP growth among the large Member States of the European Union (EU) was reported in Spain (+0.6%), after price, seasonal and calendar adjustment. France (+0.5%) and the EU as a whole (+0.3%) also recorded GDP growth compared with the previous quarter. Compared with the 2nd quarter of 2025, Italy's economic performance (0.0%) stagnated as it did in Germany. Data on the overall economic development of the United States (USA) in the 3rd quarter of 2025 are not yet available because of the interim government shutdown.
Year on year, and after adjustment for price, seasonal and calendar variations, Germany's economic performance increased slightly by 0.3%, while the EU as a whole registered significant growth of 1.6%.
| USA | Euroarea | EU 27 | France | Italy | Spain | Germany | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previous quarter: change on the second quarter of 2025; Same quarter of the previous year: change on the third quarter of 2024. Source: Eurostat, Destatis calculations | |||||||
| Previous quarter | - | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Same quarter of the previous year | - | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
A detailed comparison of the EU Member States’ growth rates is available on the "Europe in figures" page on the Federal Statistical Office’s website.
Revision of previous results
In addition to the detailed results provided for the 3rd quarter of 2025, the Federal Statistical Office has also reviewed the results for the first two quarters of 2025. Taking into account the statistical information that became available after the first release of 30 October 2025, no changes to the results published so far for the total price adjusted gross domestic product have been necessary.
Methodological notes:
The differing comparative periods must be taken into account in all press releases on short-term indicators. Short-term economic monitoring focuses on comparisons of seasonally and calendar adjusted figures with those of the previous month or quarter. These reflect short-term economic trends. Year-on-year comparisons enable long-term comparisons of levels and are hardly influenced by seasonal fluctuations.
With its first provisional results for quarterly GPD (first release), the Federal Statistical Office provides an up-to-date assessment of overall economic development as early as roughly 30 days after the end of a quarter. As the availability of data is limited at such an early release date, first results are always subject to greater uncertainties than the more detailed results. These are generally published 25 days later and their data basis is much more precise, especially as regards the last month of each reference quarter. After that, the results are revised several times to factor in new statistical information. More detailed information on the revisions cycle in national accounts is provided by the revision calendar (only in German) on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
More information:
More detailed results are contained in tables 81000 of the GENESIS-Online database and our German publications Fachserie 18 "Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtrechnungen", Reihe 1.2 "Vierteljahresergebnisse" and Series 1.3 "Saisonbereinigte Vierteljahresergebnisse nach X13". A long time series containing quarterly results on the gross domestic product since the first quarter of 1970 is available in the "Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtrechnungen“ statistical report (only in German).
Germany's GDP can also be found on the Economic Dashboard, which is part of Dashboard Germany (www.dashboard-deutschland.de) (only in German). In this data portal, the Federal Statistical Office brings together up-to-date indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, the labour market, construction, housing, energy and Ukraine. The portal also contains the interactive Economic Pulse Monitor tool (only in German) for real-time economic monitoring.
| Unadjusted figures | Figures according to X13 price adjusted | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At current prices | Price adjusted, chain-linked | Seasonally and calendar adjusted | Calendar adjusted | |||||
| EUR billion | % 1 | 2020 = 100 | % 1 | 2020 = 100 | % 2 | % 1 3 | ||
| 1 Change on the previous year or on the same quarter of the previous year. 2 Change on the previous year or on the previous quarter in %. 3 For full years, the calendar adjusted values are equal to the seasonally and calendar adjusted values (except for rounding discrepancies). qtr = quarter | ||||||||
| 2021 | 3,682.34 | 6.7 | 103.91 | 3.9 | 103.66 | 3.9 | 3.9 | |
| 2022 | 3,989.39 | 8.3 | 105.79 | 1.8 | 105.61 | 1.9 | 1.9 | |
| 2023 | 4,219.31 | 5.8 | 104.87 | -0.9 | 104.90 | -0.7 | -0.7 | |
| 2024 | 4,328.97 | 2.6 | 104.35 | -0.5 | 104.41 | -0.5 | -0.5 | |
2021 | 1st qtr | 887.59 | 0.7 | 101.69 | -0.7 | 101.68 | -0.6 | -0.5 |
| 2nd qtr | 896.18 | 12.7 | 102.67 | 12.0 | 104.07 | 2.4 | 11.6 | |
| 3rd qtr | 932.31 | 7.0 | 104.48 | 2.8 | 104.16 | 0.1 | 2.8 | |
| 4th qtr | 966.26 | 7.0 | 106.81 | 2.4 | 104.72 | 0.5 | 2.4 | |
2022 | 1st qtr | 973.14 | 9.6 | 105.77 | 4.0 | 105.43 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
| 2nd qtr | 976.13 | 8.9 | 104.20 | 1.5 | 105.59 | 0.2 | 1.4 | |
| 3rd qtr | 1,002.38 | 7.5 | 106.17 | 1.6 | 105.90 | 0.3 | 1.7 | |
| 4th qtr | 1,037.74 | 7.4 | 107.02 | 0.2 | 105.53 | -0.3 | 0.8 | |
2023 | 1st qtr | 1,043.52 | 7.2 | 105.74 | 0.0 | 105.03 | -0.5 | -0.3 |
| 2nd qtr | 1,031.88 | 5.7 | 103.04 | -1.1 | 104.95 | -0.1 | -0.7 | |
| 3rd qtr | 1,055.50 | 5.3 | 104.77 | -1.3 | 104.95 | 0.0 | -0.9 | |
| 4th qtr | 1,088.41 | 4.9 | 105.92 | -1.0 | 104.66 | -0.3 | -0.8 | |
2024 | 1st qtr | 1,071.63 | 2.7 | 104.57 | -1.1 | 104.55 | -0.1 | -0.4 |
| 2nd qtr | 1,063.85 | 3.1 | 102.74 | -0.3 | 104.28 | -0.3 | -0.7 | |
| 3rd qtr | 1,083.07 | 2.6 | 104.58 | -0.2 | 104.30 | 0.0 | -0.6 | |
| 4th qtr | 1,110.42 | 2.0 | 105.50 | -0.4 | 104.49 | 0.2 | -0.2 | |
| 2025 | 1st qtr | 1,098.21 | 2.5 | 104.58 | 0.0 | 104.81 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 2nd qtr | 1,094.32 | 2.9 | 102.63 | -0.1 | 104.59 | -0.2 | 0.3 | |
| 3rd qtr | 1,119.93 | 3.4 | 104.90 | 0.3 | 104.59 | 0.0 | 0.3 | |
| 2024 | 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | 4th qtr | 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | |
| 1 Including acquisitions less disposals of valuables and the statistical difference. 2 Contributions to growth of price-adjusted GDP, percentage points. 3 Only seasonally adjusted. qtr = quarter | |||||||
| Unadjusted figures Change on the previous year | |||||||
| Final consumption expenditure | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Household final consumption expenditure | 0.4 | -0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Government final consumption expenditure | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| Gross capital formation | -6.6 | -6.9 | -1.8 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| Gross fixed capital formation | -4.0 | -3.2 | -3.2 | -3.1 | -1.4 | -1.6 | 0.1 |
| Gross fixed capital formation in construction | -4.9 | -3.6 | -2.9 | -2.1 | -1.8 | -1.9 | -0.7 |
| Gross fixed capital formation in machinery and equipment | -4.7 | -4.6 | -5.9 | -6.0 | -4.2 | -4.4 | -1.0 |
| Other fixed assets | -0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| Changes in inventories 1 2 | -0.7 | -0.8 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Domestic uses | -1.3 | -1.0 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Exports | -3.4 | 0.9 | -0.8 | -4.9 | -1.1 | -2.0 | -0.1 |
| Imports | -4.2 | -0.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Balance of exports and imports (net exports) 2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | -0.9 | -2.5 | -1.6 | -2.2 | -1.3 |
| Gross domestic product | -1.1 | -0.3 | -0.2 | -0.4 | 0.0 | -0.1 | 0.3 |
| memorandum item: | |||||||
| GDP per person in employment | -1.3 | -0.4 | -0.2 | -0.4 | -0.1 | -0.1 | 0.4 |
| GDP per hour worked by persons in employment | 0.2 | -0.5 | 0.0 | -0.9 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Seasonally and calendar adjusted figures change on the previous quarter | |||||||
| Final consumption expenditure | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Household final consumption expenditure | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | -0.3 |
| Government final consumption expenditure | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Gross capital formation | -0.1 | -2.1 | 3.3 | 3.4 | -2.0 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Gross fixed capital formation | -0.6 | -1.6 | -0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | -1.1 | 0.3 |
| Gross fixed capital formation in construction | 0.5 | -1.7 | -0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | -1.1 | -0.5 |
| Gross fixed capital formation in machinery and equipment | -0.9 | -3.1 | -1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | -2.6 | 1.1 |
| Other fixed assets | -3.1 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Changes in inventories 1 2 | 0.1 | -0.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | -0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Domestic uses | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | -0.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Exports | -1.0 | 0.6 | -1.7 | -2.1 | 2.4 | 0.3 | -0.7 |
| Imports | -0.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Balance of exports and imports (net exports)2 | -0.3 | -0.3 | -1.0 | -0.9 | 0.4 | -0.5 | -0.3 |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | -0.1 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| memorandum item: | |||||||
| GDP per person in employment | -0.1 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | -0.2 | 0.1 |
| GDP per hour worked by persons in employment 3 | -0.5 | -0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| 2024 | 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | 4th qtr | 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | |
| qtr = quarter | |||||||
| Unadjusted figures Change on the previous year | |||||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | -0.1 | -0.2 | 0.3 | -0.9 | -0.7 | -0.7 | -0.2 |
| Industry, excluding construction | -4.7 | -2.2 | -2.3 | -6.6 | -2.1 | -1.7 | 0.0 |
| including: | |||||||
| Manufacturing | -5.9 | -2.7 | -3.1 | -5.3 | -1.9 | -2.2 | -0.3 |
| Construction | -3.9 | -2.6 | -3.6 | -5.0 | -4.5 | -5.5 | -3.0 |
| Trade, transport, accommodation and food services | -0.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | -0.9 | -0.4 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| Information and communication | 2.1 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Financial and insurance activities | -0.1 | 0.8 | -0.6 | -2.6 | -3.8 | -4.2 | -3.0 |
| Real estate activities | 1.3 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Business services | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.9 | -0.6 | -1.1 | -1.2 | -0.6 |
| Public services, education, health | 0.0 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Other services | 0.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | -0.5 | -0.7 |
| Gross value added, total | -1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -1.8 | -0.6 | -0.7 | 0.3 |
| Seasonally and calendar adjusted figures change on the previous quarter | |||||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | -0.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.4 | -0.4 | -0.1 | 0.6 |
| Industry, excluding construction | -3.4 | -1.1 | -1.2 | -0.6 | 1.3 | -0.2 | -0.7 |
| including: | |||||||
| Manufacturing | -1.5 | -0.8 | -1.4 | -0.9 | 1.7 | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| Construction | 1.0 | -2.0 | -2.1 | -1.3 | 1.2 | -2.3 | -0.6 |
| Trade, transport, accommodation and food services | -0.7 | -0.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | -0.6 | 0.7 |
| Information and communication | -0.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | -0.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 0.7 | -1.2 | -1.0 | -0.9 | -0.7 | -1.5 | 0.1 |
| Real estate activities | 0.4 | 0.4 | -0.1 | -0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Business services | 0.1 | 0.5 | -0.6 | -0.6 | -0.3 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| Public services, education, health | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Other services | -0.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | -0.2 | -0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Gross value added, total | -0.8 | -0.1 | -0.4 | -0.3 | 0.5 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
