Germany, according to preliminary data, recorded a record budget surplus of 48,1 billion euros in the first half of the year against 18,3 billion last year; a surplus not seen since the reunification of the country. The statistical office Destatis explains this good performance by the favorable situation of the economy and the labor market, as well as by the "moderate spending policy" of Germany.
The central government had the largest budget (€19,5 billion) while the state government had a surplus of €13,1 billion, the social security funds €9 billion and local government €6,6 billion. billion.
General government income increased by €36,5 billion (+5%) mainly with taxes, which amounted to €403,5 billion and therefore represented a good half of total revenue. Government spending increased by a modest 1,2% in the first half of 2018.
