Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate for the conservative Christian Democratic Union, acknowledged the need for a “major effort” to revive the economy as his party pledges to return German growth to 2 percent over the next five years through changes to the welfare and tax systems.

The German economy shrank for the second straight year in 2024 as worried consumers held back on spending and Chinese competition ate into the country’s traditional exports of cars and industrial mach

Germany’s economy, the largest in Europe, contracted for the second year in a row in 2024, official data showed Wednesday, underscoring the challenges facing the region as it tries to get economic growth back on track.

The weakness underlines the challenge that will face a new government in Berlin following elections in February, including the possibility of fresh Trump tariffs.

Germany's statistics office says the country's economy shrank by 0.2% in 2024 in second consecutive year of decline

Germany's economy shrank for a second straight year in 2024, official figures showed Wednesday, with little hope of a speedy recovery as Europe's traditional powerhouse is also mired in political crisis.

The German economy contracted by 0.2% in 2024, in the second consecutive year of declines in the annual gross domestic product of Europe's largest economy.