Head debt load in 2023 reaches new high of 28,943 Euro
Primarily due to the war in Ukraine and the introduction of Germany tickets, the per capita public debt in Germany has significantly increased in the past year. According to the Statistical Federal Office, the public budget surplus for 2023 amounted to 2445.1 billion Euro. This corresponds to a per capita debt in Germany of 28,943 Euro - an increase of 778 Euro compared to the end of 2022.
The public budget includes the budgets of the federal government, states, municipalities, municipal associations, and social insurance, including all special budgets. The debt therefore increased by 3.3%, or 77.1 billion Euro. It reached a new historical high. While the states were able to reduce their debts, the debts of the federal government, cities and municipalities, and social insurance increased.
One reason for the significant increase was the introduction of the Germany ticket in public transportation. Due to the nationwide validity of the ticket, the debts of all publicly designated transportation companies were included in the calculation of the debt. Without this methodological change, the total debt would have decreased by 9.8 billion Euro, according to the statements, and the per capita debt would have risen by 663 Euro instead of 778 Euro.
Alone, the federal government had a debt of 1696.3 billion Euro at the end of 2023. The debt increased by 75.9 billion Euro or 4.7%. This increase can be explained in particular by the measures to cushion the energy crisis in connection with the Russian attack on Ukraine and by the special fund Bundeswehr created as a consequence of the Ukraine war. Per capita, the debts of the federal government amounted to 20,078 Euro.
The debts of the states decreased by 2.1% to 594.2 billion Euro. The debts of the municipalities and municipal associations, however, increased significantly by 9.8% or 154.6 billion Euro. The social insurance had the smallest debt with 41 million Euro. However, there was an increase of almost 90% - the debts were only 22 million Euro at the end of 2022.
The increase in Germany's per capita debt, due to the Ukraine-War and Germany tickets, led to a peak value of 28,943 Euro per person. This peak value in state debt is a concern, especially in the context of Europe or the euro currency. Furthermore, the D-Ticket, with its nationwide validity, contributed to the increase in public transportation debts, affecting all levels of government.
