Social contributions in Germany

Germany: Social contributions was 55.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
55.7%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
1st
of 112 countries
All-time high
59.9%
in 1997
All-time low
46.6%
in 1972
Years of data
52
1972–2024

Social contributions in Germany, 1972–2024

0204060197219982024

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of revenue.

Analysis

Germany recorded 55.7% for social contributions in 2024.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, social contributions in Germany peaked at 59.9% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 46.6%, in 1972.

That places Germany 1st out of 112 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.

Social contributions in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Social contributions (% of revenue) in Germany, 1972 to 2024.
Year % of revenue Change
1972 46.6%
1973 47.6% +2.0%
1974 48.9% +2.8%
1975 51.0% +4.3%
1976 52.1% +2.2%
1977 51.3% -1.6%
1978 51.3% -0.0%
1979 51.5% +0.4%
1980 53.9% +4.7%
1981 54.9% +1.9%
1982 55.0% +0.2%
1983 54.7% -0.6%
1984 52.2% -4.6%
1985 52.2% -0.1%
1986 53.0% +1.6%
1987 53.6% +1.2%
1988 54.7% +2.0%
1989 52.9% -3.3%
1991 54.3% +2.7%
1992 53.6% -1.2%
1993 54.9% +2.4%
1994 55.1% +0.2%
1995 56.9% +3.3%
1996 59.1% +3.9%
1997 59.9% +1.3%
1998 59.4% -0.9%
1999 56.9% -4.1%
2000 55.9% -1.7%
2001 56.7% +1.3%
2002 57.0% +0.6%
2003 56.2% -1.3%
2004 57.6% +2.4%
2005 57.1% -0.9%
2006 55.7% -2.4%
2007 53.6% -3.9%
2008 53.1% -0.9%
2009 53.5% +0.7%
2010 54.0% +1.0%
2011 52.6% -2.7%
2012 52.6% +0.1%
2013 52.3% -0.6%
2014 52.2% -0.3%
2015 52.6% +0.8%
2016 53.2% +1.1%
2017 53.3% +0.2%
2018 53.3% +0.2%
2019 53.6% +0.6%
2020 55.9% +4.1%
2021 54.6% -2.2%
2022 54.6% -0.1%
2023 55.3% +1.3%
2024 55.7% +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 50.0% 46.6% 52.1% 8
1980s 53.7% 52.2% 55.0% 10
1990s 56.7% 53.6% 59.9% 9
2000s 55.6% 53.1% 57.6% 10
2010s 53.0% 52.2% 54.0% 10
2020s 55.2% 54.6% 55.9% 5

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 2 China 43.8% compare
  2. 3 Czechia 42.1% compare
  3. 4 Spain 41.4% compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More public sector data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is social contributions in Germany?
Social contributions in Germany was 55.7% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest social contributions recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 59.9% in 1997.
What is the lowest social contributions recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 46.6% in 1972.
How does Germany rank for social contributions?
Germany ranks 1st out of 112 countries with data for 2024.
Is social contributions rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Social contributions (% of revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Social contributions in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/social-contributions-percent-of-revenue/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Social contributions (% of revenue)
Unit
% of revenue
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
134 places, 3,931 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Social contributions are actual or imputed contributions payable to social insurance schemes to make provisions for social benefits to be paid. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.