United States and Germany
The security alliance and an extensive business presence underpin the transatlantic relationship. Debates over troops and military deployments, alongside trade rules between the United States and the EU, introduce friction that must be distinguished from long-standing economic and social ties.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 238,650 M USD | 2025 · Census |
| Goods: United States to Germany | 82,822.1 M USD | 2025 · Census |
| Goods: Germany to United States | 155,827.9 M USD | 2025 · Census |
| Services trade | 139,097 M EURprovisional | 2025 · Eurostat |
| Export share: United States to Germany | 3.8 % | 2025 · Census |
| Export share: Germany to United States | 9.35 % | 2025 · Destatis |
| Investment stock: United States in Germany | 239,292 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
| Investment stock: Germany in United States | 537,007 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
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 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods; full calendar year; nominal USD; US reporting. Directions follow the order in the title, not the reporting country's origin. Total calculated by adding both directions.
- Goods: United States to Germany
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods; full calendar year; nominal USD; US reporting. Directions follow the order in the title, not the reporting country's origin. Total calculated by adding both directions.
- Goods: Germany to United States
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods; full calendar year; nominal USD; US reporting. Directions follow the order in the title, not the reporting country's origin. Total calculated by adding both directions.
- Services trade
- 2025 · Eurostat / national statistical agency · Service exports and imports under BPM6, German reporting. Credits 73361 + debits 65736 M EUR. Not the balance or sales by local subsidiaries. Source flags: p, p.
- Export share: United States to Germany
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Calculated share: U.S. exports to the partner (goods row in this table) / U.S. goods exports to the world. Same Census reporting, year 2025 and millions of USD, not seasonally adjusted. Excludes services.
- Export share: Germany to United States
- 2025 · Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · Share calculated using German exports to the partner and to the world for the same year and reporter, in thousands of euros. Does not use mirror imports or combine the Spanish/US bilateral figure with the German total.
- Investment stock: United States in Germany
- 2025 · U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · Year-end position at historical cost and by immediate counterparty; BEA estimate. Not market value, ultimate owner or an annual flow. · Position!G17
- Investment stock: Germany in United States
- 2025 · U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · Year-end position at historical cost and by immediate counterparty; BEA estimate. Not market value, ultimate owner or an annual flow. · Position!G15
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 | United States | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 30.77 trillion USD2025 · WB | 5.05 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 90,026.52 USD2025 · WB | 60,496.44 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.16 %2025 · WB | 0.24 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 3.75–4 %2026-09-16 · Fed | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %IMF est.Annual average · 2025 · IMF | 2.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.4 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · BLS | 3.3 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · Destatis |
| Unemployment | 4.2 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.71 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -6.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 123.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 62.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -3.63 %2025 · WB | 4.51 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 341,784,8572025 · WB | 83,491,2492025 · WB |
| Area | 9,831,510 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 357,680 km²2023 · WB |
| 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 USDUnited States: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personUnited States: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)United States: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)United States: 2026-09-16 · Federal funds target range · Federal ReserveGermany: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central Bank
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)United States: 2025 · Average annual change in headline CPI (%) · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · WEO estimate; not the year-on-year change for December or August 2026. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07Germany: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedUnited States: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Published: 2026-09-11 · Headline year-on-year CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted; not monthly or core inflation.Germany: 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.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionUnited States: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Germany: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPUnited States: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleUnited States: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceUnited States: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOGermany: 2023 · Area according to the series' coverage; does not determine sovereignty or effective control · World Bank
- 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
Goods trade
Annual series 2021–2025Calendar years
Census Bureau; the common table presents the latest full year. [3]
Official German review
4 May 20262026
Press conference on deployment announcements; it does not certify an already completed withdrawal. [2]
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.
United States to Germany
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Germany to United States
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | United States to Germany | Germany to United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 200,015.2 | 65,362.6 | 134,652.6 |
| 2022 | 219,479.5 | 72,871.7 | 146,607.8 |
| 2023 | 236,034.9 | 76,865.9 | 159,169 |
| 2024 | 236,002.1 | 75,695 | 160,307.1 |
| 2025 | 238,650 | 82,822.1 | 155,827.9 |
Connections between people
Academic exchanges, science and city-to-city relations complement military and business contacts. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from United States living in GermanyUS citizenship; registered resident population | 110,391 | 1 January 2025 · Eurostat / DE |
| Residents from Germany living in United States | ||
| Study and training: United States in GermanyInternational students; tertiary education (levels 5–8) | 7,832 | Academic year ending in 2024 · Eurostat |
| Study and training: Germany in United StatesStudy in the US; includes OPT | 9,123 | 2024/25 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: United States in GermanyStudy stays for academic credit | 9,682 | 2023/24 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: Germany in United States | ||
| Travel: United States to Germany | ||
| Travel: Germany to United StatesCountry of residence; visits of one or more nights | 1,770,112arrivalsprovisional | 2025 · NTTO |
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.
- Residents from United States living in Germany
- Eurostat population by citizenship, German reporting. Not birthplace, immigration entries or people of US ancestry. National rules for classifying multiple citizenship may exclude people who also hold German citizenship. 1 January 2025 · Eurostat / DE
- Study and training: United States in Germany
- Enrolment of internationally mobile students, classified by country of origin under the reporting country's UOE definition. Not a general passport-based count; excludes short-term credit mobility. Does not include OPT. Source flag: no flag. Academic year ending in 2024 · Eurostat
- Study and training: Germany in United States
- International students in the US; includes OPT placements. Not equivalent to US academic stays abroad. 2024/25 · Open Doors
- Academic stays: United States in Germany
- US students who received academic credit for study in the destination; an earlier period than that for international students. 2023/24 · Open Doors
- Travel: Germany to United States
- NTTO Annual!AC98. Arrivals, not distinct people; visas and entry categories covered by the I-94 programme. Mexico incorporates the INEGI estimate. Data subject to revision, especially Canada and Mexico; the air-only row is not used. 2025 · NTTO
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The US presence and European defence
The German foreign ministry places the transatlantic security community and US personnel stationed in Germany within the NATO framework. The relationship includes coordination for the security of Germany and Europe. A change in deployment can affect capabilities and planning without necessarily amounting to a repudiation of alliance commitments. Interpreting each change requires distinguishing planned, authorised and actually deployed personnel. [1]
Investment and employment alongside trade
The German profile of March 2026 describes an extensive network of German companies and subsidiaries in the United States and their contribution to employment. These ties extend beyond the trade balance: a company can produce and sell within the United States without all of its activity appearing as a German export. Investment stock, jobs and trade must therefore be read as different measures. [1]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
What had been announced in May 2026
At the 4 May press conference, the German Government answered questions about the announced withdrawal of US troops and about medium-range systems that would not arrive as planned. Its spokespeople did not specify all the numerical details requested. That record establishes an official discussion of plans and their consequences, not the date on which each withdrawal was carried out. An announcement is not converted into an operational count. [2]
How bilateral trade is measured
The Census series tracks goods exchanged between 2021 and 2025 according to US records. Exports run from the United States to Germany and imports represent the opposite direction. The balance shows the difference between those flows, not the net benefit of the entire relationship. Services and business investment are not included in this goods series and require their own statistics. [3]
Trade negotiations go through the European Union
The provisional agreement announced by the Council and Parliament in May 2026 addresses implementation of tariff elements of the August 2025 EU–US statement. For Germany, the bilateral dimension therefore coexists with a European trade framework. The release sets out safeguard mechanisms and suspension conditions; it must not be read as a guarantee of identical treatment for all sectors or as proof that trade tensions have disappeared. [4]
Industrial cooperation in September 2026
The US readout of the 15 September meeting between Pete Hegseth and Boris Pistorius states that they discussed defence industrial cooperation and collective deterrence, with greater European responsibility for the continent's conventional defence. It documents continued dialogue after the May controversy. It does not provide a complete withdrawal timetable or show that all the industrial projects discussed have been implemented. [5]
Milestones and consequences
- 2026-03-09
German bilateral profile
The German foreign ministry documents security, economic and societal ties. [1]
- 2026-05-04
Debate over deployments
The German Government responds to US announcements. [2]
- 2026-05-20
Provisional EU–US agreement
The Council and Parliament announce a legislative step on tariff commitments. [4]
- 2026-09-15
Meeting at the Pentagon
The ministers address industrial cooperation and deterrence, according to the US readout. [5]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
The trade series uses US reporting, goods and full calendar years. It does not include services or investment stock. Troop announcements are presented as announcements, without an unverified implementation figure. The existing catalogue category is not changed in this release.
- Germany and the USA: Bilateral relations
Germany's Federal Foreign Office · Institutional source · Document: 2026-03-09 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- German Government press conference
German Federal Government · Institutional source · Document: 2026-05-04 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- U.S. trade in goods with Germany
U.S. Census Bureau · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Implementation of EU–US trade commitments
Council of the European Union · Institutional source · Document: 2026-05-20 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- US readout of the Hegseth–Pistorius meeting
Pentagon / United States Government · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07