The Deutsche Bundesbank calculates the basic rate of interest pursuant to section 247 (1) of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) and publishes its current level in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) pursuant to section 247 (2) of the German Civil Code.

The consolidation process in the German banking sector gained momentum last year. Over the course of 2016, the overall number of credit institutions (in Germany) fell by 72 to 1,888 institutions. This corresponds to a 3.7% decline in 2016 compared with a drop of 1.5% in 2015.

Germany’s primary direct investment stocks abroad (outward FDI) continued to rise in 2015. By contrast, the foreign direct investment stocks in Germany (inward FDI) fell slightly.

In the first quarter of 2017, German credit institutions eased their credit standards in some areas. This is revealed by the latest Bank Lending Survey (BLS) conducted among banks domiciled in Germany.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2016, households' financial assets amounted to €5,586 billion; this figure was up markedly by €98 billion (or 1.8%) from the third quarter of 2016. The increase owed partly to substantial valuation gains of just over €53 billion on financial assets, in particular on equities and investment fund shares.