Editing Economy of Germany (section)

==Government finances==
{{Main|Taxation in Germany|Federal budget of Germany}}
[[File:German bonds.webp|thumb|300px|{{center|German bonds}} [[Inverted yield curve]] in 2008 and [[Negative interest on excess reserves|Negative interest rates]] 2014–2022
{{legend-line|#000000 solid 3px|30 year}}
{{legend-line|#DD0000 solid 3px|10 year}}
{{legend-line|#FFCE00 solid 3px|2 year}}
{{legend-line|#970E53 solid 3px|1 year}}
{{legend-line|#73FDEA solid 3px|3 month}}
]]
The [[debt-to-GDP ratio]] of Germany had its peak in 2010 when it stood at 80.3% and decreased since then.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2005&ey=2020&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=67&pr1.y=6&c=122%2C136%2C124%2C941%2C423%2C137%2C939%2C181%2C172%2C138%2C132%2C182%2C134%2C936%2C174%2C961%2C178%2C184&s=GGXWDG%2CGGXWDG_NGDP&grp=0&a= |title=World Economic Outlook Database, April 2015, General government gross debt (National currency, Percent of GDP) |publisher=International Monetary Fund |date=April 2015 |access-date=26 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205090730/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2005&ey=2020&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=67&pr1.y=6&c=122%2C136%2C124%2C941%2C423%2C137%2C939%2C181%2C172%2C138%2C132%2C182%2C134%2C936%2C174%2C961%2C178%2C184&s=GGXWDG%2CGGXWDG_NGDP&grp=0&a= |archive-date=5 February 2016}}</ref> According to [[Eurostat]], the [[Government debt|government gross debt]] of Germany amounts to €2,152.0 billion or 71.9% of its GDP in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7141153/2-22012016-AP-EN.pdf/8288af1f-6f6f-4d2e-91ba-d5c45f07f2e2 |title=Third quarter of 2015 compared with second quarter of 2015 - Government debt fell to 91.6 % of GDP in euro area |publisher=Eurostat |date=22 January 2016 |access-date=26 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124213139/http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7141153/2-22012016-AP-EN.pdf/8288af1f-6f6f-4d2e-91ba-d5c45f07f2e2 |archive-date=24 January 2016}}</ref> The federal government achieved a budget surplus of €12.1 billion ($13.1 billion) in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/german-government-achieves-historic-budget-surplus-1452691320 |title=German Government Achieves 'Historic' Budget Surplus |publisher=The World Street Journal |date=13 January 2016 |access-date=26 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313173915/http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-government-achieves-historic-budget-surplus-1452691320 |archive-date=13 March 2016}}</ref> Germany's [[credit rating]] by [[Credit rating agency|credit rating agencies]] [[S&P Global Ratings|Standard & Poor's]], [[Moody's Investors Service|Moody's]], and [[Fitch Ratings]] stands at the highest possible rating ''AAA'' with a stable outlook in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFit94584220160108 |title=Reuters: Fitch Affirms Germany at 'AAA'; Outlook Stable |work=Reuters |date=8 January 2016 |access-date=26 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202054602/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFit94584220160108 |archive-date=2 February 2016}}</ref>

Germany's "debt clock" (''Schuldenuhr'') reversed for the first time in 20 years in January 2018. It is now currently increasing at 10,424.00 per second (October 2020).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/e4ec4bce-f099-11e7-b220-857e26d1aca4|title=German 'debt clock' reverses for first time in 20 years|date=4 January 2018|website=Financial Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104060441/https://www.ft.com/content/e4ec4bce-f099-11e7-b220-857e26d1aca4|archive-date=4 January 2018|url-status=live|access-date=4 January 2018|last1=Buck|first1=Tobias}}</ref>

Economists generally see Germany's current account surplus as undesirable.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.igmchicago.org/surveys/german-and-european-economic-policy| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200225003113/http://www.igmchicago.org/surveys/german-and-european-economic-policy| archive-date = 25 February 2020| title = German and European Economic Policy {{!}} IGM Forum}}</ref>