Germany government assets in currency
Germany government assets in currency stood at 0.1 EUR billion in Q1 2026, according to Deutsche Bundesbank. It is one of the indicators in the General government financial accounts table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 1999 to Q1 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the General government financial accounts table
| Indicator | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Q4-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total financial assets | 2,084.8 | 2,021.1 | 1,968.2 | 1,906.8 | 1,878.4 | 1,836.8 | 1,834 | 1,780.8 | 1,791.7 | 1,767.7 | |
| Currency and deposits | 379 | 361.3 | 374.1 | 374.4 | 348.3 | 347.4 | 361.4 | 362.7 | 380 | 389.4 | |
| Currency | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Understanding germany government assets in currency
Cash in hand, including circulating banknotes and coins physically held across public administrative offices, courts, revenue services, and local municipal desks, forms the exact coverage of this line. It excludes all institutional bank balances, which are classified separately under transferable deposits and other deposits. Sibling rows within the broader financial accounts, such as debt securities and loans, represent contractual financing relationships rather than physical payment media. The measure strictly captures legal tender physically retained within government units, omitting central bank currency issuance and commercial bank vault cash.
Physical cash holdings represent an operational fraction of public liquidity, held primarily for petty cash outlays, official counter payments, and immediate administrative disbursements. Sequential quarterly movements reflect short-term operational variations rather than structural fiscal strategy, making long-term annual comparisons preferable for tracking the steady modernization of public payment channels. The series is recorded at face value and is free from market price adjustments, though regular data revisions occur when audited local authority annual statements replace quarterly projections. Institutional shifts toward electronic disbursements and automated revenue collection provide the underlying context for structural breaks in these physical cash balances.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include central bank reserves or commercial bank deposits?
- No, it is confined strictly to physical notes and coins held in government administrative offices and service counters.
- Why are currency stocks free from market revaluation adjustments?
- Physical currency is accounted for at face value, meaning changes stem solely from net physical additions or withdrawals of legal tender.
- How do revisions affect these reported cash levels?
- While central administrative figures are quickly available, local government cash holdings undergo revisions as comprehensive annual accounting reports replace preliminary estimates.