Germany is the biggest market in Europe. Almost 83 million people live, work, and consume here. Eighteen percent of the enlarged EU population lives in Germany.

Its geographic location in Europe also makes it the economic center of Europe. It shares nine borders with both its traditional trading partners in western Europe and the growing markets of central and eastern Europe, making Germany the geographic and economic hub of the EU.

Since 2004 the expanded EU has been a trading and investment location with about 465 million consumers. Traditionally, Germany has served as a hub for these growing markets in middle and eastern Europe.

Germany is the technological leader in Europe and the second biggest exporter of goods that require extensive research and development. In addition, Germany is a world leader in the fields of vehicle construction, machine construction, and environmental technologies.

The German economy is one of the most productive economies in Europe.

Germany benefits from an extremely capable and internationally orientated middle class of companies.

The German infrastructure is nothing less than excellent. No country in Europe can boast a traffic network of comparative density.

Although the inflation rate has remained low, the unemployment rate has risen to nine percent and the rate of real economic growth over the past several years has declined to significantly less than that of the United States.

Black market labor has reached, with approximately 17 % of the GDP, its highest level since the Federal Republic's coming into existence.

Germany faces higher taxes as a result of the increasing cost of providing services and pension benefits to an ageing population

Education in Germany has fallen from its earlier status as a model for other nations to a very poor level. Recent OECD studies put both the secondary and university education systems of Germany in the bottom half of OECD countries.

Germany is facing problems caused by an ageing population.