Germany's economy contracted for the second consecutive year in 2024, highlighting the depth of the downturn gripping Europe's biggest economy. Germany's economy shrank by 0.2% over the full year - in line with economists' forecasts - and by 0.

Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate for the conservative Christian Democratic Union, acknowledged the need for a “major effort” to revive the economy as his party pledges to return German growth to 2 percent over the next five years through changes to the welfare and tax systems.

Germany’s economy, the largest in Europe, contracted for the second year in a row in 2024, official data showed Wednesday, underscoring the challenges facing the region as it tries to get economic growth back on track.