GDP by Sector · Structural Breakdown
Germany GDP by Sector
How is Germany's GDP split among agriculture, industry, and services?
In 2024, services accounted for 64.0% of Germany's GDP, industry for 25.6%, and agriculture for just 0.9%. This sector composition reflects a mature, post-industrial economy where the service sector dominates, yet industry retains a significant share compared to many other advanced economies. Over the past three decades, the share of industry has declined from 33.3% in 1991 to 25.6% in 2024, while services have risen from 56.5% to 64.0%. Agriculture has halved from 1.1% to 0.9%. This structural shift has been accompanied by changes in employment, with the service sector now employing 73.0% of the workforce, industry 26.0%, and agriculture 1.1% in 2025. The following sections explore the current composition, long-term transformation, productivity differences, and trade specialisation that define Germany's economic structure.
What is GDP by sector?
GDP by sector shows how an economy's output is split between agriculture, industry and services, measured as each sector's value added as a share of GDP.
How it is measured. Value added is the net output of a sector after subtracting intermediate inputs. Industry includes mining, manufacturing, construction and utilities; services cover trade, transport, finance, public administration and other activities. Employment shares show where people work.
How to read it. Compare a sector's share of GDP with its share of employment: a sector that employs far more people than it contributes to output usually has lower productivity. Wealthier economies tend to have larger service sectors.
Source: World Bank WDI. See our methodology.
Current Sector Composition of Germany's GDP
Current Sector Composition of Germany's GDP
As of 2024, services dominate Germany's economic output, contributing 64.05% of total value added. Industry accounts for 25.62% of GDP, while agriculture's share is minimal at 0.91%. This distribution reflects a mature, post-industrial economy where the tertiary sector has expanded steadily over recent decades.
Employment shares align closely with output, though with slight divergences. In 2025, services employ 72.95% of the workforce, exceeding their GDP share by 8.9 percentage points. Industry employs 25.97% of workers, roughly matching its 25.62% output share. Agriculture employs 1.07% of workers, a share slightly above its 0.91% GDP contribution.
The services sector's 64.05% GDP share in 2024 is marginally above the 63.01% recorded in 2019, representing a 0.3% growth over the 2020s so far. Industry's 25.62% share in 2024 compares with 25.54% in 2019, a 1.5% increase over the same period. Agriculture's 0.91% share in 2024 is up from 0.83% in 2019, a 25.5% rise across the 2020s.
Employment trends show services absorbing 72.95% of workers in 2025, up from 71.66% in 2019, a 2.9% increase over the 2010s. Industry employment fell from 27.15% in 2019 to 25.97% in 2025, a 4.6% decline in the 2020s. Agriculture employment dropped from 1.19% in 2019 to 1.07% in 2025, a 3.8% reduction.
The gap between services' output and employment shares indicates relatively lower labour productivity in services compared with industry. Industry's output share (25.62%) nearly matches its employment share (25.97%), suggesting roughly average productivity. Agriculture's higher employment share (1.07%) relative to output (0.91%) points to below-average productivity in that sector.
Germany's sectoral composition has shifted markedly since the 1990s. Services' GDP share rose from 56.53% in 1991 to 64.05% in 2024, a 13.3% increase. Industry's share fell from 33.27% to 25.62% over the same period, a 23.0% decline. Agriculture's share dropped from 1.07% to 0.91%, a 14.9% reduction.
Sector Shares of GDP and Employment (Latest Available)
| Sector | % of GDP (2024) | % of Employment (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Industry | 25.6 | 26.0 |
| Services | 64.0 | 73.0 |
Structural Transformation Since 1980
Structural Transformation Since 1980
Germany's economic structure has undergone a pronounced shift from industry towards services since the early 1990s. In 1991, industry value added represented 33.27% of GDP, a figure that contracted to 27.27% by 1999, a decline of 18.0% over the decade. Over the same period, services value added rose from 56.53% to 61.73%, growing by 9.2%, while agriculture's share fell from 1.07% to 0.96%.
The 2000s accelerated the deindustrialisation trend, with industry's GDP share dropping by a further 12.5% from 27.25% in 2000 to 23.84% in 2009. Services continued their ascent, reaching 64.66% by 2009, a 4.8% increase over the decade. Agriculture's share halved from 1.00% in 2000 to 0.67% in 2009, a contraction of 32.7%, reflecting ongoing mechanisation and consolidation.
Employment data mirror this structural transformation even more starkly. Industry employment fell from 38.43% of total employment in 1991 to 33.84% in 1999, a 12.0% decline. Services employment rose from 57.92% to 63.30% over the same period, a 9.3% gain. Agriculture employment dropped from 3.64% to 2.86%, a 21.4% reduction, as labour moved to higher-productivity sectors.
By the 2010s, the pace of structural change moderated. Industry value added stabilised, declining only 1.9% from 26.04% in 2010 to 25.54% in 2019. Services value added grew by just 0.5% over the decade, from 62.71% to 63.01%. Agriculture's share recovered slightly, rising 7.4% from 0.78% to 0.83%, though from a very low base. Employment shifts continued, with industry employment falling 5.6% from 28.76% to 27.15% and services employment rising 2.9% from 69.62% to 71.66%.
The reunification of Germany in 1990 fundamentally altered the sectoral composition, as the former East Germany's industrial base was restructured. By 2024, industry value added stood at 25.62% of GDP, services at 64.05%, and agriculture at 0.91%. Employment in 2025 shows services at 72.95%, industry at 25.97%, and agriculture at 1.07%, confirming the long-term trajectory towards a service-dominated economy.
Decadal Change in Value-Added Shares (%)
| Decade | Agriculture | Industry | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s (1991-1999) | -10.2 | -18.0 | +9.2 |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | -32.7 | -12.5 | +4.8 |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | +7.4 | -1.9 | +0.5 |
| 2020s (2020-2024) | +25.5 | +1.5 | +0.3 |
Employment vs Value-Added: Productivity Gaps
In 2025, agriculture employed 1.07% of Germany's workforce but contributed only 0.91% to GDP in 2024, indicating near-parity in productivity. Industry employed 25.97% of workers in 2025 while generating 25.62% of value-added in 2024, a gap of 0.35 percentage points. Services employed 72.95% of the workforce in 2025 and contributed 64.05% of GDP in 2024, a 8.90 percentage point deficit that suggests lower relative productivity in this sector.
Agriculture: Declining Employment, Stable Output Share
Agricultural employment fell from 3.64% in 1991 to 1.07% in 2025, a decline of 70.6%. Over the same period, agriculture's value-added share dropped from 1.07% to 0.91%, a much smaller reduction of 14.5%. The 1990s saw employment fall 21.4% while value-added fell 10.2%, and in the 2000s employment contracted 37.7% versus a 32.7% decline in output share. By the 2020s, employment had stabilised with a 3.8% decline from 2020 to 2025, while value-added grew 25.5% from 2020 to 2024, reaching 0.91%.
Industry: Persistent Productivity Advantage
Industry's share of employment fell from 38.43% in 1991 to 25.97% in 2025, a 32.4% reduction. Its value-added share declined from 33.27% to 25.62% over the same period, a 23.0% drop. In the 1990s, employment fell 12.0% while value-added dropped 18.0%, meaning productivity per worker improved. The 2000s saw employment decline 14.0% and value-added fall 12.5%, maintaining a productivity edge. In the 2010s, employment fell 5.6% while value-added dropped only 1.9%, and in the 2020s employment fell 4.6% while value-added grew 1.5%, reaching 25.62% in 2024.
Services: Growing Employment, Flat Output Share
Services employment rose from 57.92% in 1991 to 72.95% in 2025, a 25.9% increase. Value-added share grew from 56.53% to 64.05% over the same period, a 13.3% rise. In the 1990s, employment grew 9.3% and value-added 9.2%, keeping productivity roughly constant. The 2000s saw employment expand 8.9% while value-added grew only 4.8%, indicating declining relative productivity. In the 2010s, employment rose 2.9% and value-added 0.5%, and in the 2020s employment grew 1.8% while value-added rose 0.3%, widening the gap.
Productivity Divergence Across Sectors
Industry consistently shows the highest productivity relative to its employment share. In 2024-2025, industry's value-added share (25.62%) nearly matched its employment share (25.97%), a ratio of 0.99. Agriculture's ratio was 0.85 (0.91% output versus 1.07% employment). Services had the lowest ratio at 0.88 (64.05% output versus 72.95% employment). This pattern has persisted for decades: in 1991, industry's ratio was 0.87, agriculture's 0.29, and services' 0.98. By 2024-2025, industry's ratio improved to 0.99, while services' fell to 0.88.
Sector Shares of GDP and Employment (Latest)
| Sector | % of GDP (2024) | % of Employment (2025) | Productivity Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.82 |
| Industry | 25.6 | 26.0 | 0.98 |
| Services | 64.0 | 73.0 | 0.88 |
Trade, Specialisation, and Growth Implications
Trade, Specialisation, and Growth Implications
Germany’s economic structure is heavily oriented toward industry, which contributed 25.6% of value added in 2024, a share that is significantly higher than the European Union average. This industrial base is the foundation for the country’s strong export performance, particularly in capital goods, machinery, and vehicles. The services sector, at 64.0% of value added in 2024, is comparatively smaller than in many other developed economies, such as the United Kingdom or France, where services often exceed 75% of GDP. This specialisation implies that Germany’s growth trajectory is closely tied to global demand for industrial products.
High-tech exports are a critical component of Germany’s trade profile, with the country consistently ranking among the top global exporters of advanced manufactured goods. The industry value added share has remained remarkably stable over the 2020s, averaging 25.7% between 2020 and 2024, compared to a mean of 26.0% in the 2010s. This stability suggests that Germany has not experienced the rapid deindustrialisation seen in some other advanced economies. However, the share of industry in employment has fallen from 27.1% in 2019 to 26.0% in 2025, indicating a slight shift toward services in the labour market.
Export dependence carries inherent risks, particularly in the context of global trade disruptions and geopolitical tensions. Germany’s economy is especially sensitive to demand from China and the United States, its two largest export markets. The services sector, which has seen its value added share rise only marginally from 63.0% in 2019 to 64.0% in 2024, has not compensated for potential downturns in industrial exports. This structural reliance on industry makes the economy vulnerable to cyclical swings in global investment and trade flows, as was evident during the 2008-2009 financial crisis when industry value added fell from 27.3% in 2000 to 23.8% in 2009.
Future growth implications depend on Germany’s ability to maintain its competitive edge in high-value manufacturing while expanding its services exports. The services sector has shown limited dynamism, with its value added share growing by only 0.3% in the 2020s, from 63.9% in 2020 to 64.0% in 2024. In contrast, industry value added grew by 1.5% over the same period. The low growth in services suggests that the economy remains reliant on industrial specialisation, which could constrain productivity gains if global demand for manufactured goods weakens. Diversification into high-tech services, such as software and R&D, could mitigate this risk.
Employment data reinforce the structural shift toward services, with services employment rising from 71.7% in 2019 to 73.0% in 2025, while industry employment fell from 27.1% to 26.0% over the same period. This divergence indicates that while value added remains concentrated in industry, the labour force is gradually moving into services, which may have lower productivity growth. The agriculture sector, at 1.1% of employment in 2025, plays a negligible role in trade and growth. Germany’s growth outlook hinges on sustaining its industrial export base while fostering higher-value services to offset potential declines in manufacturing competitiveness.
Export Growth by Decade
| Decade | Export Growth (%) | High-Tech Export Share (latest year) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | +26.2 | N/A |
| 2000s | +112.2 | 16.8 (2009) |
| 2010s | +22.4 | 16.4 (2019) |
| 2020s (2020-2024) | +25.4 | 18.0 (2024) |
Frequently asked questions
What are the main sectors contributing to Germany's GDP?
Germany's GDP is primarily driven by the services sector, which accounted for 69.3% of total value added in 2023. The industrial sector, including manufacturing, contributed 23.1%, while agriculture made up 0.8%. Manufacturing alone represented 19.4% of GDP, highlighting Germany's strength in automotive and machinery. These figures show that services dominate the economy, but industry remains a significant pillar.
How has the share of industry in Germany's GDP changed over the past decade?
Between 2013 and 2023, the industrial sector's share of Germany's GDP declined from 25.2% to 23.1%. Manufacturing, a key component, fell from 21.0% to 19.4% over the same period. This gradual decrease reflects a structural shift toward services, which grew from 67.5% to 69.3%. Despite the decline, industry remains a vital part of the economy, contributing over €700 billion in value added in 2023.
What is the contribution of agriculture to Germany's GDP?
Agriculture contributed 0.8% to Germany's GDP in 2023, down from 0.9% in 2013. The sector's value added was approximately €28 billion in 2023. Despite its small share, Germany is a major agricultural producer in the EU, with key outputs including cereals, dairy, and meat. The low percentage reflects the high productivity of the sector relative to the overall economy.
How does Germany's services sector compare to other major economies?
Germany's services sector contributed 69.3% to GDP in 2023, lower than in many other advanced economies. For example, the United Kingdom's services sector accounted for 80.2% of GDP in 2022, while France's was 78.4%. Germany's higher industrial share (23.1%) sets it apart, reflecting its strong manufacturing base. Services in Germany include wholesale and retail trade, transport, and financial services.
Which sub-sectors within services are the largest in Germany?
Within Germany's services sector, the largest sub-sectors are wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation, and food services, which contributed 15.2% of GDP in 2023. Information and communication accounted for 5.8%, while financial and insurance activities added 4.6%. Public administration, education, and health combined for 17.5%. These sub-sectors highlight the diversity of Germany's service economy.
What is the trend in Germany's construction sector as a share of GDP?
The construction sector contributed 5.1% to Germany's GDP in 2023, up from 4.5% in 2013. This increase reflects a boom in residential and infrastructure projects. Value added in construction reached €185 billion in 2023. The sector has been supported by low interest rates and government investment, though recent rate hikes may slow growth. Construction remains a key driver of economic activity.