Deep red numbers - The debt mountain of NRW-communities will grow even larger
The local debt mountain in North Rhine-Westphalia continues to grow. The municipalities and municipal associations were in their core budgets worth 49.3 billion Euros in debt at the end of 2023, which is 3.2% more than the previous year, according to IT.NRW, the state statistics office in Düsseldorf. This debt per capita amounted to 2715 Euros (2022: 2637 Euros).
The situation varied: In Oberhausen and Mülheim an der Ruhr, the per capita debt was 9419 Euros and 9312 Euros, respectively, but in Düsseldorf it was only 542 Euros, in the Olpe district 632 Euros, and in Gütersloh 661 Euros.
When it comes to the core budget, this refers to the budget of a commune in the narrower sense. Extrabudgets and other public institutions - such as municipal hospitals or energy suppliers - are excluded. The total debt of the NRW municipalities was estimated by the statistics office to be 63.4 billion Euros at the end of 2023, an increase of 3.6% compared to the end of 2022, which amounted to a per capita debt of 3492 Euros.
- Despite the growing debt mountain in North Rhine-Westphalia, municipalities in the city of Düsseldorf, specifically, had a relatively lower per capita debt compared to places like Oberhausen and Mülheim an der Ruhr.
- IT.NRW, the state statistics office located in Düsseldorf, reported that North Rhine-Westphalia's municipalities and municipal associations accumulated a collective debt of 63.4 billion Euros at the end of 2023, contributing to the nationwide 'Debt Mountain'.
- The 'Debt Mountain' in North Rhine-Westphalia, as highlighted by statistics, suggests thatCommunes in this region have collectively amassed substantial debts, affecting the financial health of the region.
