Germany2021 Economic Complexity Trade : 1.81, Rank 5 of 131
2021 Economic Complexity Technology : 1.55, Rank 2 of 96
2021 Economic Complexity Research : 1.87, Rank 8 of 140
2021 Product Exports | Imports: $1.56T | $1.34T, 3 of 226 | 3 of 226
2021 Per Capita Product Exports | Imports: $18.8k | $16.1k, 21 of 219 | 20 of 219
Overview In 2021, Germany was the number 4 economy in the world in terms of GDP (current US$), the number 3 in total exports, the number 3 in total imports, the number 19 economy in terms of GDP per capita (current US$) and the number 5 most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) .
Exports The top exports of Germany are Cars ($135B), Packaged Medicaments ($64.6B), Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) ($64.5B), Vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins and cultures ($45.6B), and Planes, Helicopters, and/or Spacecraft ($21.2B), exporting mostly to United States ($135B), China ($121B), France ($119B), Netherlands ($100B), and Italy ($88.7B).
In 2021, Germany was the world's biggest exporter of Cars ($135B), Packaged Medicaments ($64.6B), Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) ($64.5B), Centrifuges ($15.4B), and Electrical Control Boards ($13.6B)
Imports The top imports of Germany are Cars ($71.1B), Vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins and cultures ($41.6B), Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) ($41.1B), Packaged Medicaments ($32.3B), and Crude Petroleum ($29.2B), importing mostly from China ($134B), Netherlands ($129B), Poland ($89.4B), Italy ($78.4B), and France ($74.1B).
In 2021, Germany was the world's biggest importer of Nitrogen Heterocyclic Compounds ($12.7B), Cheese ($5.25B), Reaction and Catalytic Products ($5.02B), Large Flat-Rolled Stainless Steel ($4.68B), and Ball Bearings ($4.55B)
Location Germany borders Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland by land and Sweden and United Kingdom by sea.
May, 2023
Overview In May 2023 Germany exported €130B and imported €118B, resulting in a positive trade balance of €11.8B. Between May 2022 and May 2023 the exports of Germany have decreased by €-2.28B (-1.72%) from €133B to €130B, while imports decreased by €-13B (-9.93%) from €131B to €118B.
Trade In May 2023, the top exports of Germany were Motor cars and motor caravans (€13.9B), Pharmaceutical products (€8.22B), Chassis, bodies, engines etc. for motor... (€7.47B), Machinery for electricity production, distribution (€6.86B), and Other machinery (€4.98B). In May 2023 the top imports of Germany were Machinery for electricity production, distribution (€7.67B), Motor cars and motor caravans (€6.32B), Pharmaceutical products (€5.94B), Estimations for non-response (€5.82B), and Chassis, bodies, engines etc. for motor... (€5.44B).
Origins In May 2023 the exports of Germany were mainly from Foreign Countries (€29.3B), Baden-Württemberg (€20.5B), North Rhine-Westphalia (€19.4B), Bavaria (€19B), and Lower Saxony (€8.29B), while imports destinations were mainly North Rhine-Westphalia (€24.7B), Bavaria (€20.9B), Baden-Württemberg (€20B), Lower Saxony (€11B), and Hesse (€10.7B).
Destinations In May 2023, Germany exported mostly to United States (€12.5B), France (€9.74B), Netherlands (€9.23B), China (€8.72B), and Poland (€7.38B), and imported mostly from China (€13.2B), Netherlands (€9.02B), United States (€7.78B), Poland (€7.12B), and Italy (€6.28B).
Growth In May 2023, the decrease in Germany's year-by-year exports was explained primarily by an decrease in exports to United States (€-962M or -7.16%), Austria (€-621M or -8.53%), and China (€-492M or -5.34%), and product exports decrease in Pharmaceutical products (€-2.39B or -22.5%), Mineral oil products (€-938M or -36.6%), and Plastics (€-863M or -27%). In May 2023, the decrease in Germany's year-by-year imports was explained primarily by an decrease in imports from China (€-4.19B or -24%), Russia (€-3B or -91.2%), and Norway (€-1.45B or -36.8%), and product imports decrease in Other prefabricated chemicals (€-6.05B or -69.4%), Petroleum oil and petroleum gases (€-4.22B or -45.1%), and Plastics (€-677M or -29.6%).
EXPORT GROWTH (May 2022 - May 2023): €-2.28B, (-1.72%)
IMPORT GROWTH (May 2022 - May 2023): €-13B, (-9.93%)
MAIN EXPORTER (May 2023): Foreign Countries, €29.3B
MAIN DESTINATION (May 2023): United States, €12.5B
This section shows exports and imports data at subnational level for Germany. Click any date in the line plot, any subnational region in the geomap, or any product, destination or origin country to explore the exports or imports behavior of Germany over time.
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Top Export (2021): Cars, $135B
Top Destination (2021): United States, $135B
In 2021, Germany exported a total of $1.56T, making it the number 3 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Germany have changed by $284B from $1.28T in 2016 to $1.56T in 2021.
The most recent exports are led by Cars ($135B), Packaged Medicaments ($64.6B), Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) ($64.5B), Vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins and cultures ($45.6B), and Planes, Helicopters, and/or Spacecraft ($21.2B). The most common destination for the exports of Germany are United States ($135B), China ($121B), France ($119B), Netherlands ($100B), and Italy ($88.7B).
Fastest Growing Export Markets (2020 - 2021)
Fastest Growing Import Markets (2020 - 2021)
Germany Exports Services (2020): $235B
Germany Imports Services (2020): $237B
In 2020, Germany exported $235B worth of services. The top services exported by Germany in 2020 were Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services ($64.3B), Royalties and license fees ($35.9B), Sea transport ($30.8B), Financial services ($20.1B), and Personal travel ($15.5B).
The top services imported by Germany in 2020 were Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services ($71B), Personal travel ($35.3B), Other transport ($28.3B), Sea transport ($17.5B), and Royalties and license fees ($16B).
Germany has a high level of specialization in Artificial Textile Machinery (6.84), Hops (5.2), Electric Locomotives (4.86), Microscopes (4.77), and Cermets (4.38). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Germany observed and expected exports in each product.
The highest complexity exports of Germany according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Photographic plates and film; exposed and developed, other than cinematographic film (2.38), Machining centres, unit construction machines (single station) and multi-station transfer machines for... (2.18), Cermets; articles thereof, including waste and scrap (1.98), Textile machinery; for extruding, drawing, texturing or cutting man-made textile materials (1.97), and Electric (electrically heated gas) soldering, brazing, welding machines and apparatus, capable or... (1.94). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.
The top export opportunities for Germany according to the relatedness index, were Phosphides (0.56), Other Nickel Products (0.56), Typewriters (0.55), Photo Lab Equipment (0.55), and Stainless Steel Ingots (0.54). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Germany is not specialized in.
The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.
The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.
During the last 20 years Germany's economy has become relatively less complex, moving from the 2nd to the 5th position in the ECI rank.
These economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.
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