Germany: Banks still dominate funding

Much of the funding of Germany’s economically vital SMEs continues to come from bank loans. Private placements and specialized bonds are of growing importance, but sometimes problematic from a risk point of view.

The financing of small and medium-sized enterprises is of paramount importance in Germany as these firms – the famed Mittelstand – are the bedrock of the economy. They contribute €1.3 trillion to domestic GDP and the larger SMEs – those with a turnover of between €10 million and €1 billion – account for 43% of Germany’s GDP.

Of Germany’s 3.7 million corporates, 99.8% are SMEs or mid-market enterprises (MMEs) and 71% of these companies, 2.17 million firms, have a turnover of less than £250,000.