State Capacity Index in Germany

Germany: State Capacity Index was 2.3 in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
2.3
Change on year
up 8.4%
World rank
7th
of 166 countries
All-time high
2.31
in 2012
All-time low
1.8
in 1990
Years of data
26
1990–2015

State Capacity Index in Germany, 1990–2015

00.511.522.51990200220151990: 1.81991: 2.11992: 21993: 1.91994: 21995: 2.11996: 2.11997: 1.91998: 1.91999: 22000: 1.92001: 1.82002: 1.82003: 1.82004: 1.82005: 1.92006: 1.92007: 1.92008: 1.92009: 1.92010: 22011: 2.32012: 2.32013: 2.12014: 2.12015: 2.3

Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Germany recorded 2.3 for state capacity index in 2015.

The figure is up 8.4% on the previous year and up 23.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, state capacity index in Germany peaked at 2.31 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1.8, in 1990.

Germany ranks 7th of 166 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

State Capacity Index in Germany, year by year

Annual values for State Capacity Index in Germany, 1990 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1990 1.8
1991 2.07 +14.8%
1992 2.05 -1.1%
1993 1.94 -5.3%
1994 2.03 +4.4%
1995 2.07 +2.1%
1996 2.05 -0.9%
1997 1.92 -6.2%
1998 1.95 +1.4%
1999 1.95 +0.2%
2000 1.91 -2.3%
2001 1.81 -5.0%
2002 1.81 -0.1%
2003 1.82 +0.7%
2004 1.83 +0.7%
2005 1.87 +1.7%
2006 1.9 +1.7%
2007 1.91 +0.6%
2008 1.94 +1.4%
2009 1.92 -1.0%
2010 2.01 +4.7%
2011 2.29 +14.0%
2012 2.31 +0.8%
2013 2.12 -7.9%
2014 2.12 +0.0%
2015 2.3 +8.4%

Germany compared with similar countries

  • Germany's 2.3 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.59, 1.5× the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • Germany's 2.3 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.41, 1.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.98 1.8 2.07 10
2000s 1.87 1.81 1.94 10
2010s 2.19 2.01 2.31 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 4 Belgium 2.38 compare
  2. 5 Sweden 2.35 compare
  3. 6 Finland 2.34 compare
  4. 8 Switzerland 2.27 compare
  5. 9 New Zealand 2.23 compare
  6. 10 Australia 2.22 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is state capacity index in Germany?
State capacity index in Germany was 2.3 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest state capacity index recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 2.31 in 2012.
What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 1.8 in 1990.
How does Germany rank for state capacity index?
Germany ranks 7th out of 166 countries with data for 2015.
Is state capacity index rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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State Capacity Index in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/state-capacity-index/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
State Capacity Index
Source
Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 8,015 data points, 1960–2015
Last refreshed

Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.