The Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, approved the federal budget for 2026 on 28 November.

Source: European Pravda; German newspaper Der Spiegel

Details: In total, German lawmakers approved expenditure of €524.5 billion for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government – €21.5 billion more than in 2025.

To finance expenditure in the core budget alone, the government plans to take on nearly €98 billion in debt. Additionally, there are loans from special funds for the Bundeswehr – Germany's armed forces – and infrastructure.

More than one-third of the budget is allocated to labour and social spending. Meanwhile, defence expenditure will rise to around €108 billion – the highest level since the end of the Cold War.

Ukraine will receive €11.5 billion from the approved budget for artillery, drones, armoured vehicles and other equipment. According to the German Federal Ministry of Defence, this is the largest amount provided since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

In September, the Bundestag approved the 2025 budget – a decision that had been delayed due to early parliamentary elections.

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