Destinations › Europe · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Germany.
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. 357,022 sq km and 83,491,249 people, 2,389 km of coastline, temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind.
Region · EuropePopulation · ~83,491,249Languages · German, with Turkish, Kurdish, Russian, and Sorbian and Frisian minoritiesEco Index · 75/100 · Good
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of Germany.
Germany's living heritage sits mainly in regional folk custom and a towering classical and choral music tradition. Karneval and Fasching processions, Bavarian Schuhplattler dance and Trachten dress, Volksmusik and seasonal festivals remain active parts of regional life.
Where the name comes from
Deutschland in German, from Proto-Germanic þiudiskaz, 'of the people'. 'Germany' comes from the Latin Germania. Source: national and regional toponymic records.
The land itself: lowlands in the north, uplands through the centre, the Bavarian Alps in the south. Its high point is Zugspitze, 2,962 m. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Spears, flutes and a map of the sky
Wooden throwing spears preserved in a lignite mine at Schoningen are around 400,000 years old, among the oldest complete hunting weapons in the world. The caves of the Swabian Jura produced carved ivory figures and a bone flute around 40,000 years old, including the Venus of Hohle Fels, the oldest figurative art in Europe. The Nebra sky disc, made around 1600 BC, is a bronze disc inlaid with gold showing the sun, moon and the Pleiades, among the oldest concrete depictions of the cosmos known anywhere.
How it got here
Printing, unification, and 1945
Germanic forces halted Roman expansion east of the Rhine in AD 9. Printing with movable type at Mainz around 1450 transformed the spread of knowledge across Europe, and theses posted at Wittenberg in 1517 began the Reformation. The German states were unified in 1871. Between 1933 and 1945 Nazi rule murdered six million Jews, alongside Roma, disabled people and others. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and Germany was reunified in 1990.
The timeline
c. 400,000 years ago
The Schoningen spears.
Wooden throwing spears preserved in a lignite mine are among the oldest complete hunting weapons in the world. ↗
c. 40,000 years ago
The oldest figurative art in Europe.
Carved ivory figures and a bone flute from the caves of the Swabian Jura, including the Venus of Hohle Fels. ↗
c. 1600 BC
The Nebra sky disc.
A bronze disc inlaid with gold showing the sun, moon and the Pleiades, among the oldest concrete depictions of the cosmos known. ↗
AD 9
Teutoburg Forest.
Germanic forces halt Roman expansion at the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, stopping Roman expansion east of the Rhine. The river became the frontier, and the linguistic and legal divide it created still shows on the map. ↗
c. 1450
Movable type.
Printing with movable type in Mainz transforms the spread of knowledge across Europe. ↗
1517
The Reformation.
Theses posted at Wittenberg in 1517 begin the Reformation, splitting western Christianity and, through the printing press, spreading further and faster than any dispute before it. The wars that followed ran for over a century. ↗
1871
Unification.
The German states are unified into a single empire in 1871, proclaimed at Versailles after the defeat of France. A patchwork of kingdoms and principalities became the largest industrial power in Europe within a generation. ↗
1933 to 1945
Nazi rule and the Holocaust.
Six million Jews were murdered, alongside Roma, disabled people, and others. ↗
1989 to 1990
The wall and reunification.
The Berlin Wall falls in 1989 and Germany is reunified in 1990. ↗
Landesmuseum fur Vorgeschichte, Halle (Nebra sky disc) · UNESCO World Heritage, Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura · Deutsches Archaologisches Institut
Nature and Biodiversity in Germany.
The World Bank records 39.2% of German land and 45.3% of its seas as protected in 2025, reflecting extensive Natura 2000 sites and the Wadden Sea. Much of the terrestrial total is lightly-restricted Landscape Protection Area with mixed enforcement, so effective protection is weaker than the headline area suggests.
Is wild Germany protected? 39.2% of the land is, already past the 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Germany?
Forest cover32.68%
Terrestrial protected area39.2%
Marine protected area45.3%
104 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Recorded in Germany and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
Low endemism
Lo
Recovered wolves
Re
Lynx
Ly
Wadden Sea harbour
Wa
Grey seals
Gr
The watchlist
ThreatenedCommon Hamster (Cricetus cricetus)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedVanellus gregariusCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedCommon thread turtle (Mauremys sinensis)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedGwynne's Mining Bee (Andrena bicolor)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (insect).
ThreatenedBarbarea vulgarisEndangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedNosferatu Dracula (Dracula nosferatu)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedTorrey Pine (Pinus torreyana)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (conifer).
ThreatenedAnguilla anguillaCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Germany in GBIF occurrence data (species).
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Germany. GBIF holds 7 verified occurrence records.
Vanellus gregarius
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Germany. GBIF holds 2 verified occurrence records.
Common thread turtle (Mauremys sinensis)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Germany. GBIF holds 5 verified occurrence records.
Gwynne's Mining Bee (Andrena bicolor)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Germany. GBIF holds 308 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Germany filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Nature reserve in Hesse, mapped and named in the open record for Germany. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Germany.
Germany draws most of its drinking water from groundwater and springs, backed by major rivers including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, and supply is tightly regulated under the Trinkwasserverordnung. The Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.9% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024 and tap water is safe nationwide.
Does Germany have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
99.9% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
Cleanest water: Königssee in Berchtesgaden National Park, and the Alpine lakes
How much fresh water does Germany have, per person?
1,286 m³
Germany
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Germany withdraws about 25,793 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 35.4% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as medium water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 4%, homes and towns 42%, industry 54%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Germany beaches?
✓Tap water: Drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: EU single-use-plastic ban since 2021; Pfand deposit-return on nearly all bottles and cans (2022) and dairy bottles (2024), at a 0.25 euro deposit.
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✓Marine protection: 45.3% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge is met.
Where does the sewage go?
96.8%
of people have safely managed sanitation
96.8% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). That is close to universal coverage.
How is the sea around Germany doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Temperate; summers are mild-to-warm, winters cold enough for markets and ice.
Nearshore
Protected water
45.3% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Königssee in Berchtesgaden National Park, and the Alpine lakes.
The record
Measured
Germany draws most of its drinking water from groundwater and springs, backed by major rivers including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, and supply is tightly regulated under the Trinkwasserverordnung. The Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.9% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024 and tap water is safe nationwide.
Sea protected
45.3%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
104 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
Königssee in Berchtesgaden National Park, and the Alpine lakes.
Is the tap water safe in Germany?
99.9% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 1,286 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 2 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 24.1% of what Germany renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Germany? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Germany actually have?
Nature renews about 1,286 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Germany 68 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the drier half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Germany is a major agricultural producer, highly self-sufficient in cereals, dairy, pork and sugar, but a net food importer overall because most fruit and much vegetable supply is brought in. Product-level self-sufficiency (Selbstversorgungsgrad) figures are published by BLE and BMEL.
Where does the food in Germany come from?
9.2% imported
about US$141,324m a year
On the plate: Potatoes, rye and wheat breads, cabbage and sauerkraut, lentils, white and green asparagus (spring), apples and root vegetables
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Potatoes60%
Wheat breads51%
Cabbage42%
Sauerkraut33%
Lentils24%
White15%
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$141,324m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 9.2% of everything Germany imports (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 0.9% of the economy and 47.5% of the land is agricultural, of which 33.4% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Germany? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined85%
Diabetes7.8%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 53.8%.
Can Germany feed itself?
33.4%
Arable land
47.5%
Agricultural land
466,431
Farmers
28,864,335
Arable acres
0.9%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Spargel (asparagus) April to June; apple and Rhine and Moselle grape harvest in autumn; Federweißer new wine in autumn
Feeding itself
Germany is a major agricultural producer, highly self-sufficient in cereals, dairy, pork and sugar, but a net food importer overall because most fruit and much vegetable supply is brought in. Product-level self-sufficiency (Selbstversorgungsgrad) figures are published by BLE and BMEL.
Certification
Eurostat records 11.2% of German agricultural land as organic in 2023, corroborated by FiBL and the BÖLW. Organic area has climbed steadily over the past decade.
Water for crops
Germany draws most of its drinking water from groundwater and springs, backed by major rivers including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, and supply is tightly regulated under the Trinkwasserverordnung. The Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.9% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024 and tap water is safe nationwide.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for Germany, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 47.5% of the country is agricultural land and 33.4% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Germany are sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, barley and maize (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Germany has expanded renewables to about 60 per cent of public electricity generation in 2024, with wind and solar now the largest sources, and it has legislated a 2045 climate neutrality target. Yet it still burns hard coal and lignite (brown coal), and per person emissions remain mid range at 6.77 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The 2011 nuclear phase out raised short term reliance on coal and gas, and the industrial economy keeps demand high. Progress on clean power is genuine, but the remaining coal in the mix and a rich, energy intensive economy hold the score in the middle band.
What powers Germany?
Renewable 59.1%Fossil 40.9%
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
6.94 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
11.15 tonnes
The grid
Germany has expanded renewables to about 60 per cent of public electricity generation in 2024, with wind and solar now the largest sources, and it has legislated a 2045 climate neutrality target. Yet it still burns hard coal and lignite (brown coal), and per person emissions remain mid range at 6.77 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Pollution
Germany pairs the EU single-use-plastics ban with a world-leading Pfand deposit-return scheme, extended to nearly all single-use bottles and cans in 2022 and to dairy bottles in 2024. Litter is low and population-weighted PM2.5 was 8.8 µg/m³ in 2023 (World Bank), below the level of 10.
Water stress
Germany draws most of its drinking water from groundwater and springs, backed by major rivers including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, and supply is tightly regulated under the Trinkwasserverordnung. The Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.9% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024 and tap water is safe nationwide.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.41.4%
2IndustryLignite (brown-coal) open-cast mining in the Rhenish area and Lusatia; Ruhr heavy-industry legacy.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.8.8
4On the recordGermany pairs the EU single-use-plastics ban with a world-leading Pfand deposit-return scheme, extended to nearly all single-use bottles and cans in 2022 and to dairy bottles in 2024.
What has Germany promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2045
Electricity renewable today39.8% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target39.2% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target45.3% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2045, status: in law; in policy document; in political pledge. Measured against it, 39.8% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 60.2% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year6.94 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.9 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy1.79 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy1.68 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.6 t CO2e
New York return, economy1.15 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Germany emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Germany.
Data centres
532
Operational facilities, Cloudscene, July 2026.
Grid renewable
59.1 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Germany?
A machine here runs mostly on renewables, but not entirely.
Renewable 59.1%Fossil 40.9%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 39.8% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Germany has at least 250 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Frankfurt (33), Hamburg (19), Berlin (15), alongside 58 internet exchanges (DE-CIX Frankfurt, MegaIX Munich, DE-CIX Hamburg, BCIX). Named sites include Digital Realty Frankfurt FRA1-27, ITENOS Frankfurt (FRA1), Equinix FR5 - Frankfurt, KleyerStrasse, Equinix FR7 - Frankfurt, Gutleutstrasse.
Where the cables land. 9 landing points · Friedrichshafen, Konstanz, Markgrafenheide, Meersburg
68% residents to 32% visitors across a year. 39,563,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 83,491,249 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Germany
12,449k
Visitors a year
0.2
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Germany?· for every $100 Germany earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2010 peak
$ 81The worst year on the IMF record. Germany owed $81 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2010signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 65What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 74The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $74 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Germany earns in a year, it owes $65 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Germany?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 39,563,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 83,491,249 residents, one visitor a year for every 2 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Germany is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is only 9.2% of everything Germany imports (2024, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, barley, maize, rapeseed, rye, triticale, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown
4
The power
60.2% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away
5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the power leaves and the plate stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split
6
Pay the bank first
Germany owes $65 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$65 per $100
7
A spread hand
The largest single export, vehicles, is 17.4% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 17.4%
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 3.5% of everything Germany makes from exports (2019, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
3.5% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Sydney a return economy seat is 2.90 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.90 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$5,453 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$5,453bn
GDPUS$5,050.9bn
Agriculture, share of GDP0.9%
Visitors a year12,449,000
Visitors per resident0.2
Residents~83,491,249
Agriculture
Farming is 0.9% of the economy. Germany is a major agricultural producer, highly self-sufficient in cereals, dairy, pork and sugar, but a net food importer overall because most fruit and much vegetable supply is brought in.
Natural materials
Wool traditions remain living, above all Bavarian and Alpine Loden, the boiled and felted wool used for Trachten such as the Dirndl and Lederhosen, still woven and worn at festivals. Flax and felt-making traditions also persist.
Energy
Germany has expanded renewables to about 60 per cent of public electricity generation in 2024, with wind and solar now the largest sources, and it has legislated a 2045 climate neutrality target. Yet it still burns hard coal and lignite (brown coal), and per person emissions remain mid range at 6.77 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Germany?
By rooms · company records and press.
Schloss Lieser · ~49 roomsIndependentnot published
Igloo Village Zugspitze · ~15 roomsCorporatenot published
Residence Inn Hamburg · ~44 roomsCorporatenot published
Sturm Bio Hotel Garden & Spa · ~42 roomsIndependentnot published
Guldsmeden Lulu · ~81 roomsIndependentnot published
Klosterhotel Wöltingerode · ~56 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
201534,970k
201635,555k
201737,452k
201838,881k
201939,563k
202012,449k
International tourism receipts run at about US$58.37 billion in 2019 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 3.5% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking potatoes, rye and wheat breads, cabbage and sauerkraut, lentils, white and green asparagus (spring), apples and root vegetables over imported menus. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Deutsche Bahn rail including ICE high-speed trains; the Deutschlandticket flat-fare regional and local pass (58 euros a month from 2025); very cycle-friendly cities
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
An eco heavyweight on recycling, deposit-return and renewables, with rewilded wolves and lynx and a world-leading vegan scene.
Best time: May to September for warm weather and festivals; December for Christmas markets
Getting around
Deutsche Bahn rail including ICE high-speed trains; the Deutschlandticket flat-fare regional and local pass (58 euros a month from 2025); very cycle-friendly cities
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is potatoes, rye and wheat breads, cabbage and sauerkraut, lentils, white and green asparagus (spring), apples and root vegetables. Everyday plant staples run from potatoes and an exceptionally deep rye and wheat bread culture to cabbage and sauerkraut, lentils, seasonal white and green asparagus and apples.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards widely accepted, cash still loved; EUR. Punctuality is cultural.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Schloss LieserIgloo Village ZugspitzeResidence Inn HamburgSturm Bio Hotel Garden & SpaGuldsmeden LuluKlosterhotel Wöltingerode
.
Who owns the big hotels
Schloss LieserIndependent · 49 rooms
Igloo Village ZugspitzeCorporate · 15 rooms
Residence Inn HamburgCorporate · 44 rooms
Sturm Bio Hotel Garden & SpaIndependent · 42 rooms
Guldsmeden LuluIndependent · 81 rooms
Klosterhotel WöltingerodeIndependent · 56 rooms
None of the 6 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Germany.
How well is Germany actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Germany scores 83 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is a state that generally does what it says it will do, which is what makes a climate pledge worth reading.
How well is Germany run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 84 of 100
Control of corruption scores 83.8 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That puts it in the cleanest quarter of governments measured.
84
Freedom and rights, scored 85 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 84.8 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens here can question their government openly.
85
Government effectiveness, scored 81 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 81.4 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated among the strongest measured.
81
Income equality, scored 34 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 33.7 (2022, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Below 40 is the level usually treated as manageable, and Germany sits inside it.
34
LGBTQ+ status: HighSolo female travel: EasyIndustry to avoid: Lignite (brown-coal) open-cast mining in the Rhenish area and Lusatia; Ruhr heavy-industry legacy
What is daily life in Germany really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Deutsche Bahn rail including ICE high-speed trains; the Deutschlandticket flat-fare regional and local pass (58 euros a month from 2025); very cycle-friendly cities
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 8.8. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest Bavarian Alps, Black Forest and the North Sea and Baltic coasts and islands
✓Tap water Drinkable
✓What to drink Tap water is safe and strictly controlled everywhere.
✓Plastic rules EU single-use-plastic ban since 2021; Pfand deposit-return on nearly all bottles and cans (2022) and dairy bottles (2024), at a 0.25 euro deposit
✓Sockets and voltage Type C/F, 230V
Made in Germany.
Wool traditions remain living, above all Bavarian and Alpine Loden, the boiled and felted wool used for Trachten such as the Dirndl and Lederhosen, still woven and worn at festivals. Flax and felt-making traditions also persist. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Germany actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Germany sells the world is vehicles, 17.4% of all exports in 2023 (about US$300.06 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are machinery and mechanical appliances at 16.2%, electrical machinery and electronics at 11.3%, pharmaceuticals at 7.1%, optical, medical and precision instruments at 5.0%.
Made now · natural materials
Dirndl
Worked in Germany from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Lederhosen
Worked in Germany from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Still woven
Worked in Germany from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Worn at festivals. Flax
Worked in Germany from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Felt-making traditions also persist
Worked in Germany from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Could make · grown here already
Potatoes
Grown in Germany and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Wheat breads
Grown in Germany and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Cabbage
Grown in Germany and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Germany produces about US$5,051 billion a year, which is roughly US$60,496 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 0.9% of that, while food is 9.2% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 33.4% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Germany, still practised rather than archived.
Bavarian folk dance
A living tradition of Germany, still practised rather than archived.
Volksmusik
A living tradition of Germany, still practised rather than archived.
Deep classical
A living tradition of Germany, still practised rather than archived.
Choral music traditionA living tradition of Germany, still practised rather than archived.
KarnevalA living tradition of Germany, still practised rather than archived.
Does Germany protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Germany's living heritage sits mainly in regional folk custom and a towering classical and choral music tradition. Karneval and Fasching processions, Bavarian Schuhplattler dance and Trachten dress, Volksmusik and seasonal festivals remain active parts of regional life. The Sorbs, a Slavic minority in Lusatia, keep a distinct living language, dress and Easter riding traditions.
Who it belongs to. German tourism is strongly regional and driven by small businesses, spreading spending through family Pensionen, holiday flats, farm holidays and spa and Christmas-market towns. Village markets and regional festivals keep revenue local, though there is no Indigenous element.
Only here. The Autobahn, the only national motorway network with no general speed limit on much of it.
Three futures for Germany, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: craft bier bar (Hanover), Museum (ehemalig St. Laurentius) (Duisburg). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: ART Creativ Eismann, Arnold Fenster, Bastelstube, Beadmaker's Bench, Bilderrahmenwerkstatt Schacht, Conno Keramik.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
+1%
Forest cover
1995: 32.4 % → 2023: 32.7 %
+725%
Renewable electricity
1995: 4.8 % → 2021: 39.8 %
-38%
CO2 per person
1995: 11.1 t → 2024: 6.9 t
-16%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 14847 k → 2020: 12449 k
+3%
Protected land
2013: 37.9 % → 2025: 39.2 %
-66%
Farm workforce
1995: 3.17 % → 2025: 1.07 %
0%
Protected sea
2013: 45.5 % → 2025: 45.3 %
-4%
Agricultural land
1995: 49.7 % → 2023: 47.5 %
+3%
Urban population
1995: 80 % → 2025: 82.1 %
-58%
Air pollution
1995: 21.2 µg/m³ → 2023: 8.8 µg/m³
-2%
Fresh water per person
1995: 1310 m³ → 2022: 1286.4 m³
+7%
Adult overweight
1995: 50.3 % → 2022: 53.8 %
+0%
Electricity access
1995: 100 % → 2024: 100 %
+91%
GDP per person
1995: 31747 → 2025: 60496
+2%
Population
1995: 81678 k → 2025: 83491 k
+665%
Renewable energy use
1995: 2.3 % → 2021: 17.6 %
-31%
Energy per person
1995: 4120 kg → 2024: 2825 kg
+3%
Protected area, total
2013: 38.9 % → 2025: 40 %
+6%
Life expectancy
1995: 76.4 yrs → 2024: 80.8 yrs
+15%
Cereal yield
1995: 6108 ha → 2023: 7007 ha
-46%
Fertiliser use
1995: 238.4 ha → 2023: 128.6 ha
-10%
Rural population
1995: 20 % → 2025: 17.9 %
+170%
Water productivity
1995: 53.5 $/m3 → 2022: 144.5 $/m3
+26%
Health spending
2000: 9.8 % → 2024: 12.3 %
+1%
Forest area
1995: 113270 km2 → 2023: 114190 km2
-3%
Electric power use
1995: 6328 kWh → 2024: 6109 kWh
-40%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 90.5 e → 2023: 54.6 e
-47%
Emissions: Building
1990: 202.5 e → 2023: 107.2 e
-48%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 413.4 e → 2023: 215 e
-41%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 955.5 e → 2023: 560.5 e
-45%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 42.3 e → 2023: 23.2 e
-44%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 156.8 e → 2023: 87.8 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 32.4% to 32.7% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 4.8% to 39.8% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 11.1 t to 6.9 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 14847k to 12449k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 37.9% to 39.2% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 3.2% to 1.1% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 45.5% to 45.3% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 49.7% to 47.5% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 80.0% to 82.1% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 21.2 µg/m³ to 8.8 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 1310.0 m³ to 1286.4 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 50.2% to 53.8% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100.0% to 100.0% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 31747 to 60496 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 81678k to 83491k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 2.3% to 17.6% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 4120 kg to 2825 kg across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 38.9% to 40% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 76.42 yrs to 80.79 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 6108 kg/ha to 7007 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 238.36 kg/ha to 128.58 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 19.95% to 17.86% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 53.54 $/m3 to 144.53 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 9.76% to 12.27% across 24 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 113270 km2 to 114190 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 6328 kWh to 6109 kWh across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 90.45 to 54.59 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 202.5 to 107.16 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 413.4 to 214.98 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 955.48 to 560.5 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 42.25 to 23.18 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 156.76 to 87.79 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, natural fibres at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Germany already shows it can do this: water scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift natural fibres
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Germany's record. Wool traditions remain living, above all Bavarian and Alpine Loden, the boiled and felted wool used for Trachten such as the Dirndl and Lederhosen, still woven and worn at festivals. Flax and felt-making traditions also persist. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift wildlife
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Germany's record. Germany is a genuine rewilding story: wolves recolonised from around 2000 and now range across the north and east, lynx have been reintroduced in several ranges, and beaver and European bison have recovered. National parks from the Bavarian Forest to the Wadden Sea protect seals, red deer and sea eagles, though endemism is low. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift energy
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Germany's record. Germany has expanded renewables to about 60 per cent of public electricity generation in 2024, with wind and solar now the largest sources, and it has legislated a 2045 climate neutrality target. Yet it still burns hard coal and lignite (brown coal), and per person emissions remain mid range at 6.77 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The 2011 nuclear phase out raised short term reliance on coal and gas, and the industrial economy keeps demand high. Progress on clean power is genuine, but the remaining coal in the mix and a rich, energy intensive economy hold the score in the middle band. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Germany.
Who is in charge of Germany now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Friedrich Merz
Chancellor
Friedrich Merz is the head of government of Germany, in office since 6 May 2025. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 84.8 / 100. Among the strongest measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 83.8 / 100. Among the strongest measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 68 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 84.9 / 100. Among the strongest measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 78.5 / 100. Among the strongest measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Friedrich MerzChancellor
Next electionpresident: February 2027
Last electionpresident: 13 February 2022 chancellor: 6 May 2025
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1919
Government typefederal parliamentary republic
Germany national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
2045
Net zero
In Law<br>In Policy Document<br>In Political Pledge
Net-zero target as recorded by Climate Watch. Status: In Law (5/5/2021) In Policy Document (11/2/22) In Political Pledge (5/5/2021, 5/14/2019) ↗
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is Germany sustainable?
Germany scores 75 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. An eco heavyweight on recycling, deposit-return and renewables, with rewilded wolves and lynx and a world-leading vegan scene.
Is the water in Germany safe and plentiful?
Germany draws most of its drinking water from groundwater and springs, backed by major rivers including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, and supply is tightly regulated under the Trinkwasserverordnung. The Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.9% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024 and tap water is safe nationwide.
Can Germany feed itself?
Germany is a major agricultural producer, highly self-sufficient in cereals, dairy, pork and sugar, but a net food importer overall because most fruit and much vegetable supply is brought in. Product-level self-sufficiency (Selbstversorgungsgrad) figures are published by BLE and BMEL.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Germany?
Everyday plant staples run from potatoes and an exceptionally deep rye and wheat bread culture to cabbage and sauerkraut, lentils, seasonal white and green asparagus and apples. Germany also has one of the world's strongest vegan movements, with Berlin a noted plant-based capital and the country leading Europe in new vegan product launches, even though traditional cuisine is meat-heavy.
How much of Germany is actually protected?
The World Bank records 39.2% of German land and 45.3% of its seas as protected in 2025, reflecting extensive Natura 2000 sites and the Wadden Sea. Much of the terrestrial total is lightly-restricted Landscape Protection Area with mixed enforcement, so effective protection is weaker than the headline area suggests.
What wildlife is left in Germany?
Germany is a genuine rewilding story: wolves recolonised from around 2000 and now range across the north and east, lynx have been reintroduced in several ranges, and beaver and European bison have recovered. National parks from the Bavarian Forest to the Wadden Sea protect seals, red deer and sea eagles, though endemism is low.
Is Germany on clean energy?
Germany has expanded renewables to about 60 per cent of public electricity generation in 2024, with wind and solar now the largest sources, and it has legislated a 2045 climate neutrality target. Yet it still burns hard coal and lignite (brown coal), and per person emissions remain mid range at 6.77 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The 2011 nuclear phase out raised short term reliance on coal and gas, and the industrial economy keeps demand high.
How polluted is Germany?
Germany pairs the EU single-use-plastics ban with a world-leading Pfand deposit-return scheme, extended to nearly all single-use bottles and cans in 2022 and to dairy bottles in 2024. Litter is low and population-weighted PM2.5 was 8.8 µg/m³ in 2023 (World Bank), below the level of 10.
Does recycling work in Germany?
Eurostat records a municipal recycling rate of about 67% for 2024 and 68.7% for 2023, among the highest in the world.
Is the farming in Germany organic?
Eurostat records 11.2% of German agricultural land as organic in 2023, corroborated by FiBL and the BÖLW. Organic area has climbed steadily over the past decade.
Are there natural materials and craft in Germany?
Wool traditions remain living, above all Bavarian and Alpine Loden, the boiled and felted wool used for Trachten such as the Dirndl and Lederhosen, still woven and worn at festivals. Flax and felt-making traditions also persist.
Is there living culture in Germany?
German tourism is strongly regional and driven by small businesses, spreading spending through family Pensionen, holiday flats, farm holidays and spa and Christmas-market towns. Village markets and regional festivals keep revenue local, though there is no Indigenous element.
What heritage does Germany keep alive?
Germany's living heritage sits mainly in regional folk custom and a towering classical and choral music tradition. Karneval and Fasching processions, Bavarian Schuhplattler dance and Trachten dress, Volksmusik and seasonal festivals remain active parts of regional life. The Sorbs, a Slavic minority in Lusatia, keep a distinct living language, dress and Easter riding traditions.
So is Germany actually green? The measured answer
What is working: land protected at 39.2%, sea protected at 45.3%.
What is not: renewable electricity at 39.8% against a 100% mark.
Germany sits 10 of 77 at 75/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking →
What is Germany particularly good at?
✓Pollution, scored 5/5. Germany pairs the EU single-use-plastics ban with a world-leading Pfand deposit-return scheme, extended to nearly all single-use bottles and cans in 2022 and to dairy bottles in 2024. Litter is low and population-weighted PM2.5 was 8.8 µg/m³ in 2023 (World Bank), below the level of 10.
✓Recycling, scored 5/5. Eurostat records a municipal recycling rate of about 67% for 2024 and 68.7% for 2023, among the highest in the world.
✓Water, scored 5/5. Germany draws most of its drinking water from groundwater and springs, backed by major rivers including the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, and supply is tightly regulated under the Trinkwasserverordnung. The Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.9% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024 and tap water is safe nationwide.
Where does Germany score worst?
✕Heritage, scored 3/5. Germany's living heritage sits mainly in regional folk custom and a towering classical and choral music tradition. Karneval and Fasching processions, Bavarian Schuhplattler dance and Trachten dress, Volksmusik and seasonal festivals remain active parts of regional life. The Sorbs, a Slavic minority in Lusatia, keep a distinct living language, dress and Easter riding traditions. Much of this is now secularised or folklorised, so the everyday ancestral and spiritual dimension is limited compared with less modernised societies.
✕Natural fibres, scored 2/5. Wool traditions remain living, above all Bavarian and Alpine Loden, the boiled and felted wool used for Trachten such as the Dirndl and Lederhosen, still woven and worn at festivals. Flax and felt-making traditions also persist.
✕Wildlife, scored 2/5. Germany is a genuine rewilding story: wolves recolonised from around 2000 and now range across the north and east, lynx have been reintroduced in several ranges, and beaver and European bison have recovered. National parks from the Bavarian Forest to the Wadden Sea protect seals, red deer and sea eagles, though endemism is low.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
FranceScored on the same twelve pillars as Germany.78
SwitzerlandScored on the same twelve pillars as Germany.75
ItalyScored on the same twelve pillars as Germany.75
United KingdomScored on the same twelve pillars as Germany.65
MontenegroScored on the same twelve pillars as Germany.63
SerbiaScored on the same twelve pillars as Germany.58
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 3/5
Germany has expanded renewables to about 60 per cent of public electricity generation in 2024, with wind and solar now the largest sources, and it has legislated a 2045 climate neutrality target. Yet it still burns hard coal and lignite (brown coal), and per person emissions remain mid range at 6.77 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Germany's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 4/5
Germany is a major agricultural producer, highly self-sufficient in cereals, dairy, pork and sugar, but a net food importer overall because most fruit and much vegetable supply is brought in. Product-level self-sufficiency (Selbstversorgungsgrad) figures are published by BLE and BMEL.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Germany's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 3/5
Germany's living heritage sits mainly in regional folk custom and a towering classical and choral music tradition. Karneval and Fasching processions, Bavarian Schuhplattler dance and Trachten dress, Volksmusik and seasonal festivals remain active parts of regional life.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Germany's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Germany Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Germany, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
81.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
84.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
68 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
84.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
74.5 / 100 · 3 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 3 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
80.1 / 100 · 2 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 2 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
82.4 / 100 · 4 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 4 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
92.6 / 100 · 15 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 15 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
100.0 / 100 · 6 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 6 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
43.2 / 100 · 111 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 111 of 131 countries assessed.
How Germany Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
One index, every destination. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
