Central Banks

German Economy Held Back by Falling Investment, Consumption

  • GDP shrank 0.1% between April and June, as initially estimated
  • Private consumption fell 0.2%; government spending was up 1%

A worker welds steel near a new station entrance at the refurbishment work site of Deutsche Bahn AG's Riedbahn railway line in Walldorf, Germany, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg
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Investment and consumer spending weighed on Germany’s economy in the second quarter — dashing hopes that the country can finally leave behind years of stagnation.

The 0.1% contraction in gross domestic product included a 2.2% plunge in capital investment and a 0.2% drop in private consumption, the country’s statistics office said Tuesday. Government expenditure, meanwhile, was up 1%.