From ‘sick man’ of Europe to superpower: These 5 charts show how Merkel changed Germany

From ‘sick man’ of Europe to superpower: These 5 charts show how Merkel changed Germany

It's hard to believe now that Germany, Europe's biggest and most successful economy, was known as the "sick man of Europe" in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Germany's economy has grown under the leadership of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, the conservative leader who has headed the government for the past 16 years. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, a quarter (24.7%) of the European Union's entire gross domestic product was generated by Germany, according to Eurostat. CNBC has created five charts looking at different parts of Germany's economy, and society, during Merkel's tenure. They show her legacy is not only one of prosperity but also one of missed opportunities and missteps, according to some political experts. GDP Germany's export-oriented economy, one predicated heavily on manufacturing, has grown steadily during Merkel's time in office, this chart shows, and has far outpaced its rivals in the U.K. and France. When Merkel came to power in 2005, it's worth remembering that Germany's economy had experienced a recession just two years before. In the year she took office, Germany's GDP stood at 2.3 trillion euros ($2.6 trillion), . In 2020, it was over 3.3 trillion euros. Unemployment The unemployment rate has also