Germany: a better global barometer than China or the US

It's quite possible that the country that matters most to the global economy is not China or the United States, but Germany.

BMW assembly line © Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Demand for cars in Germany has risen sharply
(Image credit: BMW assembly line © Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

"Arguably, the economy that currently matters most is not China nor the United States, but Germany", says Jonathan Allum in The Blah! Europe's largest economy is heavily exposed to the global trade slowdown as exports comprise a whopping 47% of overall GDP. Many predicted a recession, but growth of 0.1% in the third quarter helped it dodge that "particular bullet".

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Markets editor

Alex is an investment writer who has been contributing to MoneyWeek since 2015. He has been the magazine’s markets editor since 2019. 

Alex has a passion for demystifying the often arcane world of finance for a general readership. While financial media tends to focus compulsively on the latest trend, the best opportunities can lie forgotten elsewhere. 

He is especially interested in European equities – where his fluent French helps him to cover the continent’s largest bourse – and emerging markets, where his experience living in Beijing, and conversational Chinese, prove useful. 

Hailing from Leeds, he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Manchester.