GKV-Finanzierung: Leben über unsere Verhältnisse
During the ‘golden’ 2010s, we generously expanded healthcare provision. With the baby boomers reaching retirement age, the consequences are now becoming apparent. The German economy has been stagnating since 2019. In contrast, the healthcare sector is racing from one record to the next and claiming an ever-larger share of the ‘pie’ – the gross domestic product (GDP) – which is no longer growing. As a result, staffing levels in the healthcare sector are growing year on year, and the number of full-time staff in hospitals exceeded 1 million for the first time in 2024 – despite there being around 10 per cent fewer in-patient cases than in 2019. The total German healthcare market reached a volume of €538 billion in 2024, which corresponded to 12.4 per cent of GDP. For 2025, the Federal Statistical Office expects a figure of as much as €580 billion, which corresponds to an increase in the share of GDP to 13 per cent.
Augurzky, B. (2026), GKV-Finanzierung: Leben über unsere Verhältnisse. Wirtschaftsdienst, 106, 7, 474
DOI: 10.2478/wd-2026-0116