Indicators

German Economy Shrinks for Second Year in New Blow to Scholz

  • Output declined by 0.2% in 2024, matching analyst estimates
  • Malaise gripping Europe’s biggest economy shows no sign of end

Germany's gross domestic product fell by 0.2% after dropping 0.3% in 2023.

Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Germany’s economy shrank for a second consecutive year in 2024 and is unlikely to grow much in 2025, laying bare the challenge for the country’s new government once snap elections are held in February.

Gross domestic product fell by 0.2% after dropping 0.3% in 2023, the statistics office said Wednesday. It’s only the second time since 1950 that output has contracted for two years in a row.