Government budget and revenue in Hesse, Germany: official figures
Hesse and its municipalities owed €10,106 per inhabitant to the non-public sector at the end of 2024, 8th highest of 16 Länder.
What is the total debt of Hesse?
Total debt of Hesse and its municipalities to the non-public sector was €63.4 billion at the end of 2024, up 8.9% on a year earlier and 8.2% of all Länder and municipal debt.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyIs the debt of Hesse rising?
Debt per inhabitant in Hesse rose from €8,544 in 2010 to €10,106 in 2024, a change of +18%.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyDoes Hesse have a budget deficit?
In 2025 the public budgets of Hesse (Land and municipalities together) closed with a deficit of €2,821 million, or €449 per inhabitant in deficit; in 2024 the result was a deficit of €6,358 million.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyMore figures
- Of that, the Land government itself accounted for €7,100 per head and the municipalities and municipal associations for €3,006 per head (2024). Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
- That debt equalled 17.2% of Hesse's GDP in 2024, 5th lowest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
- The Land budget alone recorded a surplus of €157 million in 2025. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
How Hesse compares with other states
Debt of Land and municipalities to the non-public sector per inhabitant (€) (2024)
Hesse ranks 8 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Debt of Land and municipalities to the non-public sector per inhabitant (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | North Rhine-Westphalia | €13,239 |
| 6 | Schleswig-Holstein | €12,905 |
| 7 | Saxony-Anhalt | €11,850 |
| 8 | Hesse | €10,106 |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | €9,462 |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | €9,441 |
| 11 | Brandenburg | €8,923 |
Debt of Land and municipalities as a share of GDP (2024)
Hesse ranks 12 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Debt of Land and municipalities as a share of GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 21.2% |
| 10 | Hamburg | 20.2% |
| 11 | Lower Saxony | 19.8% |
| 12 | Hesse | 17.2% |
| 13 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 16.7% |
| 14 | Baden-Württemberg | 8.8% |
| 15 | Saxony | 5.9% |
Budget balance of Land and municipalities per inhabitant (€, negative = deficit) (2025)
Hesse ranks 9 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Budget balance of Land and municipalities per inhabitant (€, negative = deficit) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Saxony-Anhalt | -€390 |
| 7 | Saarland | -€405 |
| 8 | Bremen | -€424 |
| 9 | Hesse | -€449 |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | -€578 |
| 11 | Lower Saxony | -€599 |
| 12 | North Rhine-Westphalia | -€626 |
More on Hesse: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Germany
Sources
- Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren): Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren der Länder: Tabellenband mit kompletten Zeitreihen zu allen Indikatoren (October 2026 edition), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f3f1b692389…)
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