Germany has been in the headlines for its hardline support of austerity measures for Europe’s peripheral economies. With low unemployment and a growing economy, Germany is in a position to make demands – although many observers are arguing that it should do more to stimulate the rest of the euro zone. At the very least, German policy makers seem to be tolerating more domestic inflation to help peripheral euro zone members become more competitive.
Total Debt as a percentage of GDP: 278%
Household: 49%
Nonfinancial Corporations: 87%
Financial Institutions: 87 %
Government: 83%