Germany’s statistics office says the country last year achieved its highest budget surplus since reunification a quarter-century ago, AP reported. The Federal Statistical Office said Tuesday that federal, state and local governments last year accumulated a surplus totaling €19.4 billion ($21.5 billion)—up from €8.9 billion the previous year. That beat the previous record of some €18.2 billion from 2000. Last year’s surplus amounted to 0.6% of gross domestic product, double the previous year’s 0.3%. The German economy, Europe’s biggest, grew by 1.7% last year and is expected to repeat that performance this year.
