Important Environmental Indicators

The following overview shows the key environmental indicators of the German Environment Agency. These indicators are particularly relevant for German and international environmental policy. Click on the images to view the indicators.

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Climate

A graph shows the trend in greenhouse gas emissions in Germany, which fell from 1,251 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 1990 to 674 million tonnes in 2023. The bars are divided into different sectors. The graph shows all target values up to 2045.
 Greenhouse gas emissions
A graph shows the deviation of the global air temperature between 1850 and 2023 from the average global air temperature from 1850 to 1900, which is taken as the baseline period. 2023 was 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the baseline average.
 Global surface temperature
A graph shows the number of hot days in the areal mean for 1951 to 2023. Although the trend varies greatly, the increase is clearly visible. A trend line has also been plotted on the graph which shows a significant rise.
 Hot days
A figure shows the trend for greenhouse gas emissions avoided by the use of renewables for power, heat and transport. 28 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents were avoided in 1990, and 250 million tonnes in 2023.
 Greenhouse gas emissions avoided through the use of renewables

Energy

A graph shows the share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption. The share increased from 6.2 % to 22.0 % between 2004 and 2023.
 Renewable energies - Share in gross final energy consumption
A graph shows primary energy consumption between 1990 and 2023 as well as the target value for 2030. Until 2008, the value fluctuated around 14,500 Petajoules, but has since fallen considerably.
 Primary energy consumption
A graph shows the building-related final energy consumption for room heating, room cooling, hot water and lighting for 2008 to 2022. The indicator decreases with fluctuation. No differentiation is shown between the individual uses.
 Energy consumption for buildings
A graph shows final energy productivity from 2008 to 2022. Productivity rose by more than 26 percent since 2008. Final energy consumption and gross domestic product are also shown.
 Final energy productivity
A graph shows the development of CHP net power generation from 2003 (78 terawatt hours) to 2022 (109 terawatt hours) and the target for 2025 according to the CHP Act.
 Combined heat and power (CHP)
A diagram shows the final energy consumption from 2008 to 2022. The trend is slightly downward, but fluctuates from year to year due to the influence of the weather. The EnEfG targets for the years 2030 and 2045 are also shown.
 Final energy consumption
A graph shows the share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption. The share increased from 6.3% to 51,8% between 2000 and 2023.
 Share of renewables in gross electricity consumption

Air

Graph: The development of emissions of five air pollutants and an overall index relative to the base year 2005 (=100%) can be seen. The trend of all substances decreases significantly, but ammonia only since 2014. The 2030 target (55%) seems within reach.
 Emission of air pollutants
Two graphs show how strongly, on average, urban background levels of three main air pollutants in German agglomerations exceeded the old and the new WHO recommendations between 2000 and 2022. The trend for the different pollutants varies. With the new, stricter WHO recommendations of 2021 for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5), the distances to the target have become significantly greater. Between 2000 and 2022 the values for NO2 range between 172 and 52 %, for ozone between 44 and 39 %.
Air quality in agglomerations
A graph shows the proportion of people in Germany affected by exceeding the guideline value and the World Health Organisation's interim target 4 for particulate matter (PM2.5) from 2010 to 2021 - with a descending trend with regard to interim target 4.
 Population exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5)
A graph shows the population-weighted fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) annual mean for Germany from 2010 to 2021. The load decreased significantly by 42 % from 2010 to 2021.
 Population-weighted particulate matter exposure (PM2.5)
A graph shows the population-weighted fine particulate pollution (PM10) annual mean for Germany from 2010 to 2021. The load decreased significantly by 33 % from 2010 to 2021.
 Population-weighted particulate matter exposure (PM10)
A graph shows the proportion of people in Germany affected by exceedances of the World Health Organization's 2021 guideline value for particulate matter (PM10) from 2010 to 2021. The share was consistently close to 100 % throughout the entire period.
 Population exposure to particulate matter (PM10)

Land, soil, terrestrial ecosystems

A graph in the form of a bar chart shows how many hectares of land per day in Germany were newly designated for settlements and transport infrastructure between 2000 and 2022. The chart also shows the four-year average.
 Land-take for settlements and transport infrastructure
A graph shows the undissected low-traffic areas with a minimum size of 100 km² as a percentage of Germany’s total land area for 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 and the target value. Due to differences in methodology, the values are not directly comparable.
 Landscape dissection
A graph shows the proportion of vulnerable ecosystems in Germany where the critical loads for eutrophication were exceeded between 2000 and 2019 and the target for 2030. In 2000, the share was 84 % and in 2019, it was 69 %.
 Nitrogen eutrophication
A graph shows the development of the population of representative bird species for different landscapes and the development of an aggregate indicator for 1970, 1975 and from 1990 to 2019 in percent. The aggregate indicator decreases significantly from 214 in 1970 to 75 in 2019.
 Species diversity and landscape quality

Water

A graph shows the distribution of the environmental status and potential of the rivers for the years 2015 and 2021. The target for 2027 is also shown (100 percent ‘good’ or ‘very good’). In 2021, 8 percent showed at least a good status or good potential.
 Ecological status of rivers
A graph shows the distribution of the environmental status and potential of the lakes for the years 2015 and 2021. The target for 2027 is also shown (100 percent ‘good’ or ‘very good’). In 2021, 24.7 percent showed at least a good status or good potential.
 Ecological status of lakes
A diagram shows the distribution of the ecological status/ecological potential of transitional and coastal waters for the North Sea and the Baltic Sea for the years 2010, 2015 and 2021. The target for 2027 is shown (100 % good or very good).
 Ecological status of transitional and coastal waters
A graph shows the proportion of groundwater sampling sites where nitrate measurements for the years 2008 to 2022 were above 25 and 50 milligrams per litre. In the period covered, neither sub-indicator has shown any significant change.
 Nitrate in groundwater
A graph shows the measuring points that do not comply with the orientation values for phosphorus for the years 1982 to 2021. These are divided into quality classes depending on the level of exceedance. The proportion without exceedances has increased. The proportion of medium and severe exceedances (QC IV) has fallen sharply.
 River eutrophication by phosphorus
A graph shows the change in concentration of total nitrogen in all the main rivers which enter the North Sea and Baltic Sea in Germany. A distinction is made between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The concentration value is given as the moving average of the flows of the past 5 years in milligrams per litre.
 Eutrophication of the North and Baltic Seas by nitrogen
A graph shows the 5-year averages for 2002 to 2021 of the proportion of fulmars with stomachs containing over 0.1 grammes of plastic. The indicator has declined slightly and is at 49 %.
 Plastic waste in the North Sea
A graph shows the water exploitation index for the years 1991 to 2019. Values are available for every three or four years. The index fell almost constantly and has been below the critical value of 20 percent since 2007. This presentation is based on the long-term potential water supply of 176 billion m³.
 Using water resources
A graph shows good and sufficient bathing water quality levels for coastal and inland waters (1992 to 2022). Bathing water quality increased significantly, especially in the 1990s. The target value of 100 % bathing waters with at least sufficient quality was almost reached in 2015 and has been constantly at a high level since then.
 Bathing water quality

Resource Conservation

A graph shows the total raw material productivity plus the primary raw material inputs and the sum of gross domestic product and the value imports from 2010 to 2021 (2010 = 100).
Total raw material productivity
A graph shows the primary raw material consumption per capita for 2000 to 2021. It is divided according to different types of materials. After an initial increase, the raw material footprint has fallen again to its original level in recent years.
 Raw material footprint
A graph shows the amount of municipal waste from 20102 to 2021. During this period the amount increased from 49.2 million tonnes to 51.8 million tonnes.
 Amount of waste – municipal waste
A graph shows the proportions of processed and recycled municipal waste in the total quantity of municipal waste from 2002 to 2021. During this period the proportion of recycled municipal waste rose from 56.1 to 67.8 percent.
 Recycling municipal waste

Transport

A graph shows the proportion of people exposed to traffic noise above 55 decibels during the day and above 50 decibels at night, as observed in the 2022 noise mappings. It differentiates between road, aircraft and rail traffic noise.
 Population exposure to traffic noise
A graph shows the final energy consumption in freight and passenger transport between 2005 and 2022 and the targets of the Federal Government (2005 = 100) presented as an index.
 Final energy consumption of transport
A graph shows the shares of rail and inland shipping in freight transport volume between 1999 and 2022. The share of rail transport first increased and then began to stagnate, while the share of inland shipping declined.
 Environmentally friendly freight transport
A graph shows the share of pedestrian, utility cycling, railway and passenger transport services in the overall passenger transport volume. Shown here are the years between 2003 and 2021. There has been changes in method in this period in 2003 and 2007.
 Environmentally friendly passenger transport

Agriculture and forestry

A graph shows the agricultural nitrogen surpluses for individual years and as rolling 5-year means between 1990 and 2021. The 5-year-mean nitrogen surpluses in kilogrammes per hectare dropped from 117 to 82. The target for 2030 is 70 kilogrammes per hectare and year.
 Agricultural nitrogen surplus
A graph shows the area of permanent grassland and its share of the total agricultural area from 1991 to 2023. Both indicators have been declining until 2013 and have then increased in the years that followed. Most recently, the values have stagnated.
Grasslands
A graph shows the increase of the share of organic farming areas in total utilised agricultural area based on data of the German Federal Statistical Office and the FMFA. It also shows the 30 percent target of the Federal Government.
 Organic farming
A graph shows the percentage of woodland area certified under the PEFC or FSC sustainability standards from 2000 to 2023. In 2023, the PEFC covered 79.4 percent and the FSC 14.6 percent. The graph also shows the target for 2010.
 Sustainable forestry
A graph shows the proportion of the forested area made up of mixed stands (2, 3 or 4 species of trees) and that of pure stands (semi-natural and non semi-natural). The proportion of mixed stands rose from almost 55 percent to almost 58 percent.
 Mixed forest

Private households and consumption

A graph shows the percentage of the population actively involved in environmental protection and nature conservation or who could imagine becoming involved. In 2022 only the current involvement was surveyed which was at 17 percent.
 Commitment to environmental protection
A graph shows the market shares of products with official eco-labelling. Between 2012 and 2022 this figure rose from 3.6 % to 13.9 %. In 2020 there was a significant increase from 7.9 %to 13.4 %. The target for 2030 is 34 % market share.
 Environmentally friendly consumption
A graph shows the national welfare index (NWI) and gross domestic product (2000 = 100) for the years between 1991 and 2022. Since 2000, the NWI fell by 3.6 percent, while GDP rose by 27.6 percent.
 National Welfare Index
A graph shows the global environmental footprint of household consumption, represented by the indicator’s energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and raw material use. The indicators show the environmental footprint generated by the consumption activities of private households in Germany and abroad
 Global environmental footprint of consumption

Environment and economy

A graph shows the trend for primary energy consumption in the manufacturing industry and the proportion of gross value-added (price-adjusted) between 1995 and 2020. In 1995, energy consumption amounted to 3,744 Petajoules, and in 2020, to 3,750 Petajoules.
 Energy consumption in manufacturing
A graph shows greenhouse gas emissions and gross value-added between 1995 and 2022. Greenhouse gas emissions fell from 238.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 1995 to 164 million tonnes in 2022. Gross value-added increased during that time.
 Greenhouse gas emissions in industry
A graph shows the value of environmental protection goods produced between 2009 and 2019 as well as the share of these goods in the overall industrial production.
 Environmental protection goods
A graph shows the development of environmental costs energy generation and road transport between 2016 and 2021. They were 256.4 billion euros in 2016 and 241.5 billion in 2021.
 Environmental costs of energy and road transport
A graph shows the employment in environmental protection and their share in the overall employment for 2002 until 2019 – in two-year-steps. The share was 6.5 percent in 2019, whereas it was only 3.7 percent in 2002.
 Employment in environmental protection
Graph: After a strong increase since 2000, employment has been declining since 2012 due to the sharp job losses in solar energy. There was a slight increase from 2015 to 2016. Most jobs were created in the wind energy and biomass sectors. Between 2016 and 2019, there were sharp declines. By 2022, there were significant increases again, especially in solar energy and geothermal energy.
 Employment in the renewable energy sector
A graph shows the development of environmental taxes for 1995 (40.2 billion euros) to 2021 (68 billion euros) and their share of total tax revenues in the public budgets.
 Taxes related to the environment
A graph shows the development of EMAS registered organisations in Germany between 2005 and 2023, sorted by number of organisations, sites and employees. The target of the Sustainability Strategy (5,000 sites by 2030) is also shown.
 Environmental management