Germany vs United Kingdom
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Germany and the United Kingdom are Europe's first and third largest economies, with fundamentally different economic structures. Germany's economy is manufacturing and export-driven (automotive, chemicals, machinery account for 20%+ of GDP), while the UK is services-dominated (financial services, professional services, creative industries account for 80%+ of GDP). Pre-Brexit, the UK was one of Germany's largest trading partners within the EU single market; trade friction has increased since. Germany runs a consistent trade surplus while the UK runs a deficit. Both have world-class universities but take different approaches to industrial policy.
Germany has a GDP of $5.33T compared to United Kingdom's $4.23T, making it 1.3x larger. Germany's population is 83.5M vs United Kingdom's 69.2M. Across 12 key indicators, Germany leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Germany |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $5.33T✓ | $4.23T |
| GDP per Capita | $63,600✓ | $60,011 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.9% | 1.3%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $75,480✓ | $65,215 |
| Population | 83.5M✓ | 69.2M |
| Life Expectancy | 80.5 years | 81.2 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 1.8%✓ | 2.5% |
| Unemployment (%) | 3.4%✓ | 4.7% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 66.0%✓ | 104.8% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.4 | 1.6✓ |
| Gini Index | 32.4 | 32.4 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 6.9 | 4.2✓ |
Summary
Germany has a GDP of $5.33T compared to United Kingdom's $4.23T, making the former economy 1.3x larger. In terms of population, Germany has 83.5M people while United Kingdom has 69.2M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Germany leads in 7 and United Kingdom leads in 4.
GermanyUnited Kingdom