North Rhine-Westphalia's municipalities owed about 105 Milliarden Euro at end-2025, IT.NRW reports
According to IT.NRW, the state statistics office, North Rhine-Westphalia's municipalities and municipal associations, including their holdings, owed about 105 Milliarden Euro at the end of 2025, or 5.810 Euro per resident. Core municipal budgets accounted for 61,6 Milliarden Euro (58,8 %). Mülheim an der Ruhr had the highest per-capita debt among the independent cities at 11.674 Euro, and Kreis Mettmann had the highest among the Kreise at 6.800 Euro. The figures come from the 'Integrierte Schulden' model, which also counts market-producing and state-controlled entities.
What does it mean?
Across North Rhine-Westphalia, municipalities and the entities they hold stakes in owed about 105 Milliarden Euro at the end of 2025, which works out to 5.810 Euro per resident.
Who is affected?
Residents of North Rhine-Westphalia's municipalities, whose local governments carry this debt.