Economy, jobs and prices in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: official figures
GDP per person was 43,500 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 109% of the EU average; 7th highest of 16 states in Germany. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
How big is the economy of North Rhine-Westphalia?
The regional economy produced €875.4 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2024, 20.2% of Germany's GDP.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in North Rhine-Westphalia?
The unemployment rate (age 15 to 74) was 4.2% in 2025, against 3.8% for Germany and 6.0% across the EU; 6th highest of 16 states in Germany.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is youth unemployment in North Rhine-Westphalia?
Youth unemployment (age 15 to 24) was 7.4% in 2025, against 7.1% for Germany; 3rd highest of 8 states in Germany.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow much does North Rhine-Westphalia spend on research and development?
Spending on research and development came to 2.26% of GDP in 2023 (3.10% nationally).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the gender pay gap in North Rhine-Westphalia?
Women in North Rhine-Westphalia earned 15% less per hour than men on average in 2025, 7th widest gender pay gap of 16 Länder (Germany: 16%).
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyHow many women work in North Rhine-Westphalia?
74.8% of women aged 20 to 64 in North Rhine-Westphalia were employed in 2025 (Germany: 77.8%).
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyHow much of North Rhine-Westphalia's electricity is renewable?
Renewable sources generated 17.7% of the electricity produced in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2022, 3rd lowest of 15 Länder (Germany: 44.6%).
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyHow many people in North Rhine-Westphalia are long-term unemployed?
Long-term unemployment (people out of work for a year or more) stood at 1.2% of the labour force in 2025 (Germany: 1.1%; EU: 1.9%); 7th highest of 13 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 2.4%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate for women in North Rhine-Westphalia?
Unemployment among women was 3.8% in 2025 (Germany: 3.5%; EU: 6.2%); 6th highest of 14 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 4.5%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many women in North Rhine-Westphalia are in work?
The employment rate for women aged 20 to 64 reached 74.9% in 2025 (Germany: 77.7%; EU: 71.3%); 3rd lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 69.9%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyIs the economy of North Rhine-Westphalia growing?
In real terms the economy of North Rhine-Westphalia grew by -0.7% in 2024 (gross value added), compared with -0.6% nationally; 7th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2014 it was 2.3%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in North Rhine-Westphalia?
Residents of North Rhine-Westphalia owned 589 cars per 1,000 people in 2024, compared with 590 nationally; 8th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2014 it was 530.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in North Rhine-Westphalia?
Employers paid an average of €40,208 per employee in 2023, counting wages, salaries and employer social contributions, against €40,705 across Germany; 7th highest of 16 states in Germany.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many tourists visit North Rhine-Westphalia?
Hotels, campsites and other tourist accommodation recorded 45.9 million nights in 2025, 25% of them by visitors from abroad.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the main industry in North Rhine-Westphalia?
The largest part of the economy of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2023 was finance, property and business services, at 26.2% of gross value added, followed by public administration, education, health and other services (24.3%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is North Rhine-Westphalia?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 22.0% of output in 2023, against 24.5% for Germany.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of North Rhine-Westphalia growing?
Gross value added rose from €581.0 billion in 2015 to €781.6 billion in 2023 in current prices, an increase of 35% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in North Rhine-Westphalia?
The number of people working in North Rhine-Westphalia rose by 6.4% between 2015 and 2024, to 9,824,490.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 65.1% of people aged 60 to 64 in North Rhine-Westphalia were in work in 2025, 6th lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 67.5%). Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
- The employment rate of 20- to 64-year-olds with a migration background in North Rhine-Westphalia was 71.4% in 2025, against 83.4% for those without one. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
- North Rhine-Westphalia had 368 public charging points for electric cars per 100,000 cars in 2026, against 400 nationally. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
How North Rhine-Westphalia compares with other states
Gender pay gap (unadjusted, % of men's hourly earnings) (2025)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 7 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Gender pay gap (unadjusted, % of men's hourly earnings) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Hamburg | 17% |
| 5 | Lower Saxony | 16% |
| 6 | Saarland | 16% |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 15% |
| 8 | Bremen | 14% |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 14% |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 12% |
Employment rate, ages 60 to 64 (2025)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, ages 60 to 64 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Berlin | 67.1% |
| 9 | Hamburg | 67.0% |
| 10 | Bremen | 66.1% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 65.1% |
| 12 | Brandenburg | 64.6% |
| 13 | Thuringia | 64.5% |
| 14 | Saxony-Anhalt | 63.3% |
Renewable share of electricity generation (2022)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 13 of 15, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Renewable share of electricity generation |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Brandenburg | 42.7% |
| 10 | Baden-Württemberg | 34.4% |
| 11 | Saarland | 27.6% |
| 12 | Hamburg | 22.6% |
| 13 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 17.7% |
| 14 | Saxony | 14.2% |
| 15 | Berlin | 6.2% |
Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) (2025)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 7 of 13, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Hamburg | 1.6% |
| 5 | Thuringia | 1.4% |
| 6 | Brandenburg | 1.3% |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 1.2% |
| 8 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 1.1% |
| 9 | Lower Saxony | 1.0% |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 0.9% |
Unemployment rate, women (2025)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 6 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate, women |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Saxony | 4.4% |
| 4 | Saxony-Anhalt | 4.2% |
| 5 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 4.1% |
| 6 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 3.8% |
| 7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 3.7% |
| 8 | Thuringia | 3.5% |
| 9 | Brandenburg | 3.4% |
Employment rate, women aged 20-64 (2025)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 14 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, women aged 20-64 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 76.8% |
| 11 | Hesse | 76.4% |
| 12 | Hamburg | 76.2% |
| 13 | Saarland | 75.1% |
| 14 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 74.9% |
| 15 | Berlin | 73.6% |
| 16 | Bremen | 70.1% |
Real growth in gross value added (2024)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 7 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Real growth in gross value added |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Berlin | 0.6% |
| 5 | Hesse | 0.4% |
| 6 | Lower Saxony | 0.1% |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | -0.7% |
| 8 | Saxony | -0.8% |
| 9 | Baden-Württemberg | -0.9% |
| 10 | Brandenburg | -0.9% |
Passenger cars per 1,000 people (2024)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 8 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Passenger cars per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Hesse | 622 |
| 6 | Baden-Württemberg | 620 |
| 7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 593 |
| 8 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 589 |
| 9 | Brandenburg | 584 |
| 10 | Saxony-Anhalt | 573 |
| 11 | Thuringia | 568 |
Compensation per employee (euros) (2023)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 7 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Compensation per employee (euros) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Baden-Württemberg | €43,475 |
| 5 | Berlin | €43,313 |
| 6 | Bremen | €40,567 |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | €40,208 |
| 8 | Rhineland-Palatinate | €38,639 |
| 9 | Saarland | €38,484 |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | €37,712 |
Nights spent in tourist accommodation (2025)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 3 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Nights spent in tourist accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavaria | 92.6 million |
| 2 | Baden-Württemberg | 50.5 million |
| 3 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 45.9 million |
| 4 | Lower Saxony | 40.9 million |
| 5 | Schleswig-Holstein | 34.8 million |
| 6 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 30.0 million |
| 7 | Hesse | 29.3 million |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2023)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Bremen | 24.1% |
| 9 | Saxony | 23.8% |
| 10 | Brandenburg | 22.4% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 22.0% |
| 12 | Schleswig-Holstein | 20.2% |
| 13 | Hesse | 18.5% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 17.8% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2023)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 5 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hesse | 32.6% |
| 3 | Berlin | 31.8% |
| 4 | Bavaria | 26.6% |
| 5 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 26.2% |
| 6 | Bremen | 23.8% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 23.7% |
| 8 | Schleswig-Holstein | 23.3% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2023)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 9 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Saxony | 27.8% |
| 7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 26.3% |
| 8 | Saarland | 25.5% |
| 9 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 24.3% |
| 10 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 23.6% |
| 11 | Lower Saxony | 23.3% |
| 12 | Bremen | 23.1% |
More on North Rhine-Westphalia: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Germany
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (purchasing power standards), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c21f724d14a6…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 537f99167955…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP (million euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3677c4e6d67…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rate (age 15-74), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 13f5037ce93a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Youth unemployment rate (age 15-24), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83bb1aebc10b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rate (age 20-64), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03191283bf5f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset rd_e_gerdreg: Research and development spending (% of GDP), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36a9132b2284…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rates by sex, age, educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac151d8a46d5…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 51bfca80dc8b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_vehst: Stock of vehicles by category and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5adf37bcb393…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gvagr: Real growth rate of regional gross value added (GVA) at basic prices by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ba2c4bdc7c37…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2coe: Compensation of employees by NUTS 2 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 895d7cc9e826…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tour_occ_nin2: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 06f6a82909c0…)
- 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…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu2ltu: Long-term unemployment (12 months and more) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d5d17a32863…)
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