In the first quarter of 2025, firms’ assessments of the development of various metrics over the past 12 months were similar to their responses of the previous quarter. When asked how their short-term liquidity had changed over the past 12 months, 34% of firms responded that it had decreased and 21% said that it had increased (previous quarter: 33% and 20%, respectively). The spread between the two figures thus remained unchanged, at 13 percentage points.

In 2022, foreign corporate units with German investors generated an annual turnover of €3.9 trillion.

As before, there was only a slight quarter-on-quarter change in firms’ expectations over the next 12 months. In the first quarter of 2025, somewhat more firms expected a decrease in short-term liquidity (31%; previous quarter: 30%) than an increase (17%; previous quarter: 15%). Compared with the fourth quarter of 2024, the gap between these two groups thus narrowed by one percentage point to 14%. 

Monthly turnover data are available for industry and the retail trade sector. Quarterly time series are published for the services sector. The results for the retail trade are also included in the calculation of private consumption.

Cash remains the most frequently used means of payment at the point of sale in Germany. This is one of the findings of the Bundesbank’s latest study on payment behaviour in Germany for 2023. However, card and mobile payments are gaining significant ground, while the share of cash payments is declining. Although this decline is no longer as pronounced as during the coronavirus pandemic, the share of cash payments is falling faster than in previous years,” said Executive Board member Burkhard Balz.

Scientific study on the expectations of firms in Germany

Die Unternehmen im Euroraum teilten mit, dass ihre Umsätze weiter gestiegen seien. Zugleich wirkten sich höhere Arbeits-, Produktions- und zinsbezogene Kosten nachteilig auf ihre Ertragslage aus. Der Umsatz dürfte sich den Erwartungen zufolge in den kommenden sechs Monaten abermals erhöhen.