The sky and the river turn red after sunset behind the buildings of the banking district in Frankfurt, Germany. (AFP Photo)
Germany’s general public debt rose 1 percent quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of 2026, driven by higher borrowing in special federal funds.
The country’s general public budget owed the non-public sector €2.75 trillion ($3.12 trillion) at the end of the second quarter of 2026.
Preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) showed that public debt increased by 1 percent, or €26.3 billion, compared to the first quarter of the year.
The general public budget includes the federal government, states, municipalities and social security, along with all extra budgets, while the non-public sector comprises credit institutions and private companies.
Federal debt grew by 1.1 percent, or €20.5 billion, from the previous quarter to reach €1.9 trillion.
Two special funds drove this increase, just as they did in the previous quarter.
The Infrastructure and Climate Neutrality fund increased its debt by 39.1 percent, or €13.8 billion, to €48.9 billion.
The Bundeswehr special fund expanded its debt by 8.8 percent, or €4.2 billion, to €51.6 billion.
State governments held €646.2 billion in debt at the end of the second quarter, marking a 0.5 percent, or €2.9 billion, increase from the previous quarter.
