Bureaucracy horror: Germany is struggling with a record number of laws!

Bureaucracy horror: Germany is struggling with a record number of laws!

Bureaucracy in Germany has reached a new record high. According to a current study by Professor Stefan Wagner from the University of Vienna, federal law at the beginning of 2025 will include a total of 1,306 individual laws with around 39,536 pages. This represents an increase of around 60 percent compared to 2010, when there were 1,082 individual laws and 24,775 pages of legal standards. The particularly urgent problem is that the bureaucracy continues to grow despite political promises to reduce it. Compared to the previous year, the legislative volume has also increased by 2.5 percent, which indicates an unbroken trend towards regulation.

This development is not only a burden for companies, but also for the population. Bureaucratic obstacles can have significant consequences in both the economic and personal spheres. Wagner emphasizes that a large part of the bureaucracy is found not only in federal law, but also in the implementing regulations, state laws and EU legislation. The actual bureaucratic burden could therefore be much higher.

Growth through regulation

The study shows that the growth of bureaucracy is particularly driven by financial regulation and business law. The increases in the different areas are as follows:

• Finanzregulierung: +88 Prozent
• Wirtschaftsrecht: +110 Prozent
• Verwaltungsrecht: +54 Prozent
• Sozialgesetzgebung: +46 Prozent

These increases are not only a sign of increasing regulation, but also pose significant challenges. Business associations and political parties such as the Union and SPD have agreed on reducing bureaucracy in the government program, but so far there has been a lack of concrete progress and results.

According to one estimate, bureaucracy in Germany costs around 27 billion euros annually, which underlines the urgent need to increase efficiency. Another problem is the high tax wedge in the German social system, which particularly disadvantages low-income earners. Despite these challenges, Germany has a comparatively low national debt.

Social and economic implications

German economic policy has scope to respond to economic problems, despite the restrictions imposed by EU policy. Public goods such as infrastructure and education are of central importance for productivity. Industry could shrink, but new industries could also emerge. The urge to innovate is crucial for future increases in prosperity, while changing climate sentiment does not necessarily have to be accompanied by an economic decline.

A quarter of the German population has a migration background, which increases the employment potential. This shows how important this group is for the economy. Refugees can initially put a strain on public budgets, but they often also become valuable contributors to the social system. These complex relationships illustrate how closely economic growth, bureaucracy and social responsibility are linked.

Overall, it should be noted that bureaucratic burdens will continue to be a key challenge in the future. The collision of increasing legal requirements and the need for efficient government services highlights the difficulties that both society and companies have to overcome.

In summary, it should be noted that the current developments in the German bureaucracy are not only a result of political decisions, but also reflect deeper structural problems in administration and the economy. Real progress is only possible through long-term reforms that must focus on both growth and social justice.

ESMT reports that the German social systems are in need of reform due to their organization as a generational contract. In addition, German economic policy, as stated by bpb mentioned, grow despite various challenges. Finally, the World It is clear that without significant measures to reduce bureaucracy, the challenges can only become greater.