Transparency

Germany in numbers

Name: Education Spending Calculator
Creator: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), Bildungsfinanzbericht 2023

No opinion, no outrage - just numbers. What forms cost, how long offices take, where your contributions go. Every number has a source, and it is printed right next to it.

Every dataset carries an as-of date. Where a live calculator exists, it is linked.

What forms cost

Around 30 official forms, sorted by time: estimated effort, official fees and the share of people who get through on the first try. The BAföG application sits at 48 percent.

Official German forms with estimated completion time, fee, difficulty and first-attempt success rate
Form	Category	Time	Fee	Difficulty	Success rate	Legal basis
Building Permit	Housing & Registration	8 h	500 EUR	●●●●●Nightmare	60 %	BauGB, LBO
Commercial Register Entry	Business & Trade	5 h	150 EUR	●●●●●Nightmare	70 %	§ 29 HGB, § 7 GmbHG
BAFoeG Student Loan Application	Education	4 h	free	●●●●●Nightmare	48 %	BAföG
Tax Return (Main Form)	Tax	3 h	free	●●●●●Hard	72 %	§ 25 EStG, § 56 EStDV
Parental Allowance Application	Family	3 h	free	●●●●●Nightmare	55 %	BEEG
Citizen Benefit Application (fmr. ALG II)	Social Benefits	3 h	free	●●●●●Nightmare	52 %	§ 37 SGB II
Schedule V (Rental Income)	Tax	2 h	free	●●●●●Hard	65 %	§ 21 EStG
Housing Allowance Application	Social Benefits	2 h	free	●●●●●Hard	62 %	WoGG
Residence Permit Renewal	IDs & Certificates	2 h	100 EUR	●●●●●Hard	68 %	AufenthG
Schedule N (Employment Income)	Tax	1 h 30 min	free	●●●●●Medium	81 %	§ 19 EStG
Unemployment Benefit I Application	Social Benefits	1 h 30 min	free	●●●●●Medium	75 %	§ 137 SGB III
Tax Registration Questionnaire	Business & Trade	1 h 30 min	free	●●●●●Medium	78 %	§ 138 AO
Child Supplement Application	Family	1 h 30 min	free	●●●●●Hard	58 %	§ 6a BKGG
Schedule KAP (Capital Gains)	Tax	1 h	free	●●●●●Medium	78 %	§ 20 EStG
VAT Pre-Return	Tax	1 h	free	●●●●●Medium	75 %	§ 18 UStG
Child Benefit Application (KG1)	Family	1 h	free	●●●●●Manageable	90 %	§ 67 EStG, § 5 BKGG
Vehicle Registration	Vehicle & Traffic	1 h	30 EUR	●●●●●Manageable	85 %	FZV
Vehicle Re-Registration (Owner Change)	Vehicle & Traffic	1 h	24 EUR	●●●●●Manageable	85 %	§ 13 FZV
Marriage Registration	Family	1 h	60 EUR	●●●●●Manageable	92 %	PStG, BGB
Schedule SO (Other Income)	Tax	45 min	free	●●●●●Medium	80 %	§ 22 EStG
Schedule Retirement/Insurance	Tax	45 min	free	●●●●●Medium	82 %	§ 10 EStG
Business Registration	Business & Trade	45 min	26 EUR	●●●●●Manageable	88 %	§ 14 GewO
Residence Registration	Housing & Registration	30 min	free	●●●●●Easy	95 %	§ 17 BMG
Address Change Registration	Housing & Registration	30 min	free	●●●●●Easy	95 %	§ 17 BMG
Vehicle De-Registration	Vehicle & Traffic	30 min	7 EUR	●●●●●Easy	95 %	§ 14 FZV
ID Card Application	IDs & Certificates	30 min	37 EUR	●●●●●Easy	97 %	PAuswG
Passport Application	IDs & Certificates	30 min	70 EUR	●●●●●Easy	97 %	PassG
Birth Certificate Application	IDs & Certificates	20 min	12 EUR	●●●●●Easy	97 %	PStG
Broadcasting Fee Registration	Housing & Registration	15 min	free	●●●●●Easy	95 %	RBStV
Criminal Record Certificate	IDs & Certificates	15 min	13 EUR	●●●●●Easy	98 %	§ 30 BZRG

Data as of: 2024 (NKR-Jahresbericht 2024, EU DESI 2024) - Source: Nationaler Normenkontrollrat (NKR), Destatis Bürokratiekostenindex, EU DESI 2024, Estonian e-Governance Academy

Wait times at government offices

Estimated appointment lead times and processing times for 9 offices - representative estimates from appointment queues, citizen surveys and media reports, not official statistics. A naturalization adds up to 38 weeks on paper.

Estimated appointment lead times, processing times and on-site waits per office and service
Service	Wait for appointment	Processing	On-site (appt.)	On-site (walk-in)
Citizens' Office
Residence registration	3 weeks	-	15 min	120 min
ID card application	4 weeks	3 weeks	20 min	90 min
Passport application	4 weeks	4 weeks	25 min	120 min
Certificate of good conduct	2 weeks	2 weeks	10 min	60 min
Tax Office
Tax number application	1 week	3 weeks	15 min	45 min
Tax return processing	-	10 weeks	-	appointment only
Immigration Office
Residence permit application/renewal	8 weeks	8 weeks	45 min	240 min
Visa extension	10 weeks	6 weeks	30 min	180 min
Naturalization application	12 weeks	26 weeks	60 min	appointment only
Vehicle Registration Office
New registration	2 weeks	-	30 min	120 min
Transfer of ownership	2 weeks	-	25 min	90 min
Deregistration	1 week	-	15 min	60 min
Civil Registry Office
Birth certificate application	2 weeks	1 week	15 min	45 min
Marriage registration	6 weeks	4 weeks	30 min	appointment only
Name change	4 weeks	8 weeks	20 min	appointment only
Employment Agency
Unemployment benefit processing	-	4 weeks	30 min	60 min
Counseling appointment	2 weeks	-	45 min	90 min
Youth Welfare Office
Parental allowance counseling	3 weeks	8 weeks	30 min	appointment only
Daycare voucher	4 weeks	4 weeks	20 min	appointment only
Land Registry Office
Land registry extract	2 weeks	2 weeks	15 min	appointment only
Property transfer registration	-	8 weeks	-	appointment only
Building Authority
Building permit	4 weeks	16 weeks	45 min	appointment only
Preliminary building inquiry	2 weeks	8 weeks	30 min	appointment only

Data as of: 2025/2026 - Source: Repräsentative Schätzungen basierend auf Termin-Wartelisten, Bürgerumfragen und Medienberichten

Digitalization in the EU comparison

The EU DESI index measures how digital a country is. Germany: rank 13 of the 18 countries listed here, behind Spain and Malta. Around 80 percent of German authorities still use fax.

Data as of: 2024 (OZG-Umsetzungsstand 2026) - Source: EU-DESI-Index 2024, OZG-Dashboard (BMI), Breitbandatlas, KfW, Bitkom Digital Office Index 2024

How many pensioners are you financing right now?

The statutory pension is pay-as-you-go: your contribution is not saved for you, it is paid out to current pensioners the same month. Do the math.

Your gross monthly salary

Type in your gross salary - the intergenerational contract is already waiting for you.

How we calculate this

Pure pay-as-you-go: 18.6 % pension contribution (employee + employer share combined) on your gross pay, capped at the contribution ceiling of 8,450 EUR/month (BBG West 2026). Divided by one standard pension: 45 earnings points x 42.52 EUR pension value (from 07/2026) = 1,913.40 EUR/month.

Deliberately without the federal subsidy of roughly 84 billion EUR per year that props up the pension budget on top of contributions. Sources: DRV, Destatis.

Data as of: Contribution rate + BBG 2026, pension value from 07/2026 - Source: DRV, DestatisCalculate yourself: Lifetime Contributions Calculate yourself: Tax Per Second

Retirement age by country

Statutory retirement ages in 25 countries (OECD 2023). Germany sits at 67 for birth year 1964 and later - top group of the comparison, at an average pension of 1,550 EUR.

Data as of: OECD 2023, SGB-VI-Rentenwerte 2026 - Source: OECD Pensions at a Glance 2023, Eurostat, nationale Rentenversicherungsträger

Care insurance: benefits vs. reality

What care insurance pays per care level (2026 rates) - and what a nursing home actually costs. The gap between the two is officially called your co-payment.

Monthly care insurance benefits per care level, 2026 rates
Care level	Care allowance	In-kind benefits	Relief amount
Care Level 1Minor impairment of independence	-	-	125 EUR
Care Level 2Considerable impairment of independence	332 EUR	761 EUR	125 EUR
Care Level 3Severe impairment of independence	573 EUR	1,432 EUR	125 EUR
Care Level 4Most severe impairment of independence	765 EUR	1,778 EUR	125 EUR
Care Level 5Most severe impairment with special care requirements	947 EUR	2,200 EUR	125 EUR
For comparison: nursing home, total cost	3,000-5,000 EUR / month

Data as of: 2026 - Source: BMG, Pflegesätze 2026, vdek Pflegeheimkosten-Statistik, PKV-Verband, Destatis

Health insurers compared

Same SGB V benefits catalog, different prices: the 2026 supplementary rates of major insurers range from 2.18 to 4.30 percent. Switching is your right under § 175 SGB V.

Supplementary contribution rates and extra benefits of major German statutory health insurers, 2026
Insurer	Suppl. rate	Bonus program	Osteopathy	Dental cleaning	Travel vaccines	Sports funding
BKK firmus	2.18 %	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Techniker (TK)	2.69 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
AOK Bayern	2.69 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
HEK	2.89 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
AOK Baden-Württemberg	2.99 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
AOK Nordwest	2.99 %	yes	no	yes	yes	no
DAK-Gesundheit	3.20 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
BARMER	3.29 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
IKK classic	3.40 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
mkk (BKK VBU)	3.50 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
SBK (Siemens BKK)	3.80 %	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Knappschaft	4.30 %	yes	no	yes	yes	no

Data as of: 2026 - Source: GKV-Spitzenverband, BMG, Beitragssätze 2026Calculate yourself: Health Insurance Value Check

Bracket creep

If your salary only keeps up with inflation, you still pay more tax - bracket creep. Here is the annual increase of the basic allowance against the inflation rate, year by year.

Data as of: Grundfreibetrag 2015-2025, Inflation 2015-2024 - Source: Destatis (VPI), § 32a EStG, InflationsausgleichsgesetzCalculate yourself: Bracket Creep Calculator

Education spending per student

Public education spending per student and year, by federal state (Destatis 2023). Between Berlin and Saarland lies a gap of 3,800 EUR - per child, per year.

Data as of: 2023 - Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), Bildungsfinanzbericht 2023Calculate yourself: Education Spending Calculator

Energy prices since 2000

Annual average household prices since 2000, in cents per kilowatt hour. What happened to gas in 2022 needs no caption.

Data as of: 2000-2026 (Jahresdurchschnitte für Haushaltskunden) - Source: Bundesnetzagentur, BDEW Strompreisanalyse, Destatis (VPI), ADAC Kraftstoffpreise, BMWi Energiedaten

Rents in 32 cities

Average cold rents and Mietspiegel medians for 32 cities (2025/26). In Munich you pay more than three times the Chemnitz rate for the same square meter.

Average cold rent, operating costs and Mietspiegel median per square meter for 32 German cities, 2025/26
City	Cold rent/m²	Op. costs/m²	Mietspiegel median	Rent cap
München	20.50 EUR	3.20 EUR	18.30 EUR	yes
Frankfurt am Main	16.20 EUR	3.10 EUR	14.50 EUR	yes
Stuttgart	15.80 EUR	3.00 EUR	14.20 EUR	yes
Hamburg	14.80 EUR	3.30 EUR	13.10 EUR	yes
Freiburg im Breisgau	14.50 EUR	2.80 EUR	12.80 EUR	yes
Berlin	14.20 EUR	3.50 EUR	11.40 EUR	yes
Heidelberg	14.00 EUR	2.80 EUR	12.30 EUR	yes
Düsseldorf	13.80 EUR	2.90 EUR	12.20 EUR	yes
Wiesbaden	13.60 EUR	3.00 EUR	11.80 EUR	yes
Köln	13.50 EUR	3.10 EUR	11.80 EUR	yes
Mainz	13.20 EUR	2.90 EUR	11.50 EUR	yes
Münster	12.90 EUR	2.70 EUR	11.10 EUR	yes
Bonn	12.80 EUR	2.90 EUR	11.20 EUR	yes
Karlsruhe	12.60 EUR	2.80 EUR	10.90 EUR	yes
Nürnberg	12.50 EUR	2.90 EUR	10.80 EUR	yes
Augsburg	12.20 EUR	2.80 EUR	10.50 EUR	yes
Hannover	11.50 EUR	2.90 EUR	9.80 EUR	yes
Bremen	10.80 EUR	2.80 EUR	9.20 EUR	yes
Dortmund	9.80 EUR	2.70 EUR	8.50 EUR	no
Essen	9.50 EUR	2.70 EUR	8.20 EUR	no
Bielefeld	9.20 EUR	2.60 EUR	7.90 EUR	no
Rostock	9.00 EUR	2.80 EUR	7.80 EUR	no
Dresden	9.00 EUR	2.70 EUR	7.60 EUR	yes
Erfurt	8.80 EUR	2.70 EUR	7.50 EUR	no
Bochum	8.80 EUR	2.60 EUR	7.50 EUR	no
Duisburg	8.50 EUR	2.60 EUR	7.30 EUR	no
Leipzig	8.50 EUR	2.80 EUR	7.20 EUR	yes
Wuppertal	8.20 EUR	2.60 EUR	7.10 EUR	no
Magdeburg	7.50 EUR	2.60 EUR	6.40 EUR	no
Halle (Saale)	7.20 EUR	2.60 EUR	6.10 EUR	no
Gelsenkirchen	7.00 EUR	2.50 EUR	6.00 EUR	no
Chemnitz	6.20 EUR	2.40 EUR	5.30 EUR	no

Data as of: 2025/26 - Source: Immobilienscout24/Immowelt-Durchschnittswerte 2025/26, kommunale Mietspiegel

Infrastructure decay

Seven categories, one pattern: spending stays below need. The combined investment backlog adds up to roughly 274 billion EUR.

Data as of: 2024 - Source: KfW-Kommunalpanel 2024, Destatis, BMDV-Verkehrsinvestitionsbericht, OECD Infrastructure Outlook, Breitbandatlas

DB punctuality

Deutsche Bahn punctuality since 2019. A train counts as on time up to 5:59 minutes of delay - that definition comes from DB itself.

Data as of: 2019-2026 - Source: Deutsche Bahn AG, monatliche Pünktlichkeitsberichte 2019-2026; international: SBB, NS, ÖBB, SNCF, Network Rail Jahresberichte

All datasets on this page come from public sources; the as-of date and source are stated next to each section. Some series are estimates and marked as such. Found an outdated number? Tell us - we would rather correct it than defend it.