The public debts are higher than ever
It is a historic high: In the previous year, the public debt of the budget reached approximately 2.5 billion Euros. The per capita debt stands at around 29,000 Euros.
Above all, as a result of the war in Ukraine and the introduction of the Germany ticket, the per capita public debt in Germany significantly increased in the previous year. According to the Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, the public budget debt rose to 2,445.1 billion Euros in 2023. This corresponds to a per capita debt in Germany of 28,943 Euros - an increase of 778 Euros 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 funds. The debt therefore increased by 3.3%, or 77.1 billion Euros. It reached another historic high. While the federal 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 is the introduction of the Germany ticket in public transportation. As a result of the nationwide validity of the ticket, the debts of all publicly determined transport companies were included in the calculation of the debt. Without this methodological change, the total debt would have decreased by approximately 9.8 billion Euros, according to the statements, and the per capita debt would have risen by 663 Euros instead of 778 Euros.
Alone, the federal government was in debt for 1,696.3 billion Euros at the end of 2023. The debt increased by 75.9 billion Euros 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 Euros.
The debts of the states decreased by 2.1%, to 594.2 billion Euros. The debts of the municipalities and municipal associations, however, increased significantly by 9.8%, or 154.6 billion Euros. The social insurance had the smallest debt with 41 million Euros. However, there was an increase of almost 90% - the debts at the end of 2022 were only 22 million Euros.
The escalating 'Attack on Ukraine' and the implementation of the 'Germany ticket' have contributed to a significant rise in per capita public debt, pushing it beyond the 2.5 billion Euro mark. Germany's public budget debt, now at 2,445.1 billion Euros, has triggered a debate on domestic policy, with critics questioning the necessity of such debt increases. The 'debt brake', a mechanism designed to control state debt, appears to be under strain as a result of this dispute.
