Anabelle Colaco
30 Nov 2025, 10:18 GMT+10
BERLIN, Germany: Germany's faltering economy has not stopped it from remaining the European Union's most significant net contributor, even as the amount it pays into the bloc continues to fall, a study by the German Economic Institute (IW) showed.
Germany paid 13.1 billion euros (US$15.09 billion) more into the EU budget than it received in 2024, keeping it well ahead of other member states. But that figure has slid sharply from 19.7 billion euros in 2022 and 17.4 billion euros in 2023 as the country's economic downturn weighs on contributions.
France was the second-largest net payer last year at 4.8 billion euros, followed by Italy at 1.6 billion euros, according to the IW analysis.
Greece topped the list of net recipients with 3.5 billion euros, ahead of Poland with 2.9 billion euros and Romania with 2.7 billion euros.
On a per-capita basis, Germany again led the bloc, with citizens contributing a net 157 euros to the EU budget. Ireland followed at 130 euros per person.
"The EU budget is a mirror of the economic power relations in Europe," said IW expert Samina Sultan. She noted that high-growth economies such as Poland are receiving less support, while "Germany and France are the problem children of the EU."
Germany is expected to grow more slowly than the EU average again this year, suggesting its net contribution will continue to decline, Sultan added.
The European Commission published detailed data on net payers and net recipients until 2020 but stopped releasing such statistics for political reasons, the institute said.
Get a daily dose of Malaysia Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Malaysia Sun.
More Information(Photo credit: Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Tulane did its damage early by finding paydirt...
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 30 (ANI): Five teams of the 6th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have...
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], November 30 (ANI): It all boils down to this. India's AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 qualifiers encounter...
Tibet, November 30 (ANI): An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 struck Tibet in the early hours of Sunday, the National Center for Seismology...
(251130) -- COLOMBO, Nov. 30, 2025 (Xinhua) -- A man wades through a flooded area in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka on Nov. 29, 2025....
New Delhi [India], November 30 (ANI): In the wake of Cyclone Ditwah bearing down on Tamil Nadu, Union Minister for Railways, Information...
BERLIN, Germany: Germany's faltering economy has not stopped it from remaining the European Union's most significant net contributor,...
OMAHA, Nebraska: Tyson Foods' decision to shut down its beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska — a facility that employs nearly a third...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Medicare will pay an average of 36 percent less for 15 of its most expensive prescription drugs starting in 2027,...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: OpenAI expects paid adoption of ChatGPT to expand sharply over the next five years, projecting that more...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday, the last trading day of November, as traders returned to work after taking...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Tea importers in the U.S. have faced rising costs, stalled orders, and shrinking profit margins because of...
