Municipal debt: 9.1% increase in debt in core budgets

As the Baden-Württemberg State Statistical Office states in its debt statistics, the core budgets of the municipalities and municipal associations in Baden-Württemberg had a total debt of over EUR 7,645 million in the non-public sector as of December 31, 2023. This is a good EUR 640 million more in debt than a year earlier (+9.1%). The debt of the municipal core budgets thus amounted to an average of almost EUR 676 per capita at the end of 2023.

The municipalities and municipal associations in Baden-Württemberg were indebted in the non-public sector exclusively in the form of loans and cash advances. There were no securities debts. Cash advances (loans to secure liquidity) played only a minor role overall, amounting to just under 332 million euros or 4.3% of the debt, as in previous years, and unlike in other federal states.

The district municipalities had debts totaling a good EUR 4,175 million in the non-public sector in their core budgets. This represents an increase of a good EUR 165 million compared to the previous year (+4.1%). The debts of the urban districts (core budgets) totaled around EUR 1,843 million and were thus almost EUR 156 million higher than the previous year (+9.2%).

At the end of 2023, the districts (core budgets) had a total debt of almost 1,628 million euros in the non-public sector. The debt increased by almost 320 million euros compared to the previous year. This was 24.4% more than in the previous year.

As of December 31, 2023, the legally dependent municipal enterprises and municipal associations had debts of around EUR 8,445 million to the non-public sector, EUR 321 million more than a year earlier (+4.0%).