Government budget and revenue in Lower Saxony, Germany: official figures
Lower Saxony and its municipalities owed €9,441 per inhabitant to the non-public sector at the end of 2024, 7th lowest of 16 Länder.
What is the total debt of Lower Saxony?
Total debt of Lower Saxony and its municipalities to the non-public sector was €75.6 billion at the end of 2024, up 0.5% on a year earlier and 9.7% of all Länder and municipal debt.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyIs the debt of Lower Saxony rising?
Debt per inhabitant in Lower Saxony rose from €8,448 in 2010 to €9,441 in 2024, a change of +12%.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyDoes Lower Saxony have a budget deficit?
In 2025 the public budgets of Lower Saxony (Land and municipalities together) closed with a deficit of €4,798 million, or €599 per inhabitant in deficit; in 2024 the result was a deficit of €3,475 million.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyMore figures
- Of that, the Land government itself accounted for €7,036 per head and the municipalities and municipal associations for €2,405 per head (2024). Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
- That debt equalled 19.8% of Lower Saxony's GDP in 2024, 6th lowest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
- The Land budget alone recorded a deficit of €1,196 million in 2025. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
How Lower Saxony compares with other states
Debt of Land and municipalities to the non-public sector per inhabitant (€) (2024)
Lower Saxony ranks 10 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Debt of Land and municipalities to the non-public sector per inhabitant (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Saxony-Anhalt | €11,850 |
| 8 | Hesse | €10,106 |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | €9,462 |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | €9,441 |
| 11 | Brandenburg | €8,923 |
| 12 | Thuringia | €7,974 |
| 13 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | €6,478 |
Debt of Land and municipalities as a share of GDP (2024)
Lower Saxony ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Debt of Land and municipalities as a share of GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Thuringia | 21.5% |
| 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% |
Budget balance of Land and municipalities per inhabitant (€, negative = deficit) (2025)
Lower Saxony ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Budget balance of Land and municipalities per inhabitant (€, negative = deficit) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Bremen | -€424 |
| 9 | Hesse | -€449 |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | -€578 |
| 11 | Lower Saxony | -€599 |
| 12 | North Rhine-Westphalia | -€626 |
| 13 | Berlin | -€676 |
| 14 | Brandenburg | -€761 |
More on Lower Saxony: 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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