The German economy got off to a lively start to 2016, according to the Bundesbank's March Monthly Report. The Bank's economists believe that growth in the first quarter of 2016 should be at least as strong as in the second half of 2015.

Gudrun Moede is the new head of the Bundesbank's Representative Office in Tokyo. She and her deputy, Matthias Vogel, were welcomed by Bundesbank Executive Board member Andreas Dombret at a reception in Tokyo.

How will cash be used in the future? A recent Bundesbank study has investigated this question, outlining three different scenarios for cash payments in 2037. The study provides an idea of the social and economic environment in which cash will be embedded in the future.

According to the Bundesbank, the German economy maintained its recent spell of fairly strong growth during the summer months. Writing in the September edition of the Monthly Report, the Bank's economists note that the pick-up in industrial activity is still taking some time to materialise, however.

Initial calculations by the Federal Statistical Office indicate that price-adjusted gross domestic product in Germany rose by 2.2% last year. The strong growth on the demand side was broadly based and was supported by both external and domestic stimuli. In 2017, employment reached its highest level since German reunification.

According to the calculations of the Federal Statistical Office, the German economy grew by 0.7 % in the first three months of 2016, with households and general government being the main drivers. In April, consumer prices fell for the first time since January 2015.