Germany and India
Industry, training, mobility and development cooperation connect India and Germany. Institutional consultations allow different sectors to be addressed. The 2026 diplomatic anniversary recalls a long-term relationship, distinct from a single contract or trade negotiation.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Seventy-five years of diplomatic relations
The German profile notes the anniversary celebrated in March 2026.
Businesses and industrial supply chains
Germany places economic activity and investment within bilateral cooperation.
The European framework and bilateral channel
The 2026 German update also places India–EU economic negotiations in the trade environment.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 35,789.7 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Goods: Germany to India | 18,536.52 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Goods: India to Germany | 17,253.19 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Germany to India | 1.04 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Export share: India to Germany | ||
| Investment stock: Germany in India | ||
| Investment stock: India in Germany |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods; full year; DEU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Germany to India
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods; full year; DEU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: India to Germany
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods; full year; DEU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: Germany to India
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods share: DEU exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Year-on-year inflation: different periods or frequencies; the two figures are not directly comparable.
| Indicator | Germany | India |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 5.05 trillion USD2025 · WB | 3.96 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 60,496.44 USD2025 · WB | 2,702.48 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 0.24 %2025 · WB | 7.57 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | 5.25 %2026-10-06 · RBI |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 2.4 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.3 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · Destatis | 4.82 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Aug. 2026 · MoSPI |
| Unemployment | 3.71 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 4.22 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -7.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 62.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 84.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 4.51 %2025 · WB | -0.42 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 83,491,2492025 · WB | 1,463,865,5252025 · WB |
| Area | 357,680 km²2023 · WB | 3,287,260 km²2023 · BM / FAO |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDGermany: 2025 · World BankIndia: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personGermany: 2025 · World BankIndia: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Germany: 2025 · World BankIndia: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Germany: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central BankIndia: 2026-10-06 · RBI policy repo rate · Reserve Bank of India (RBI) · Access date for Current Rates; does not represent a new decision on 6 October. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-06
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Germany: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World BankIndia: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedGermany: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Destatis · Published: 2026-09-30 · provisional · Provisional · National headline CPI, year-on-year, not monthly inflation or an annual average. Provisional data or an official advance release; subject to revision.India: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · MoSPI / Press Information Bureau, Government of India · Published: 2026-09-14 · provisional · Provisional · Combined rural and urban headline CPI, 2024 base; provisional MoSPI figure. Not food or wholesale inflation. Provisional figure or official advance release; subject to revision.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionGermany: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.India: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.India: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.India: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPGermany: 2025 · World BankIndia: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleGermany: 2025 · World BankIndia: 2025 · World Bank
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceGermany: 2023 · Area according to the series' coverage; does not determine sovereignty or effective control · World BankIndia: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAO
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Germany to India
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 5,064.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2,362.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 676.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 342.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 58.4 M USD2025 · Source |
India to Germany
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2,203.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 1,865.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 1,086.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 648.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 499.3 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Germany living in India | ||
| Residents from India living in Germany | ||
| Study and training: Germany in India | ||
| Study and training: India in Germany | ||
| Academic stays: Germany in India | ||
| Academic stays: India in Germany | ||
| Travel: Germany to India | ||
| Travel: India to Germany |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Seventy-five years of diplomatic relations
The German profile notes the anniversary celebrated in March 2026. The relationship brings together political dialogue, businesses and development cooperation. Government consultations allow ministries with different responsibilities to coordinate. Diplomatic history does not demonstrate automatic implementation of every programme: trade, training and climate projects need their own instruments and results. [1]
Businesses and industrial supply chains
Germany places economic activity and investment within bilateral cooperation. Manufacturers may sell equipment, operate plants or provide services, measures that are not added as a single export. The table separates customs shipments and accumulated capital where a comparable source exists. The economies' scale provides context without turning GDP size into a measure of each business's importance. [1]
Training and professional mobility
The official profile emphasises human ties, training and academic cooperation. Access for professionals requires specific conditions and is not equivalent to university enrolment or tourism. A resident community is not an annual flow of new workers either. Mobility indicators need their own definitions and dates, while institutional programmes describe opportunities and collaboration mechanisms. [1]
The scale of the two economies
Germany recorded nominal GDP of 5,050.9 billion USD in 2025, compared with 3,956.1 in 2025 for India. The reference populations were 83.49 million (2025) and 1,463.87 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, Germany's nominal GDP was 1.28 times India's. These figures contextualise market size; they do not by themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or population extrapolations retain their labels in the table. No ratio is calculated when periods do not match. [3] [4]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The European framework and bilateral channel
The 2026 German update also places India–EU economic negotiations in the trade environment. A European agreement and German initiatives have different authorities and scopes. The 2025 goods are an observation preceding 2026 changes, so they are not automatically attributed to instruments announced later. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between Germany and India totalled 35,789.7 million USD. Shipments from Germany to India were 18,536.5 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 17,253.2 million USD. Germany's shipments to the partner represented 1.04% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs reporting source is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or affiliates' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Germany–India bilateral relations
Germany's Federal Foreign Office · Institutional source · Document: 2026 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 276; partners 0,699,826,380
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / DEU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / DEU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / DEU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / DEU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / DEU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 276; partners 699,826,380; X/M; annual goods.