This paper takes stock of German public support measures in favour of families. The database comprises benefits from family-specific norms of tax law as well as cash and in-kind transfers both from public budgets (federal, states’ and local layer) and from the social insurance system...

Subsidy expenditures granted by the German federal layer decreased in the 2000 to 2004 period from €39.6 billion to €33.7 billion, measured according to a comprehensive definition of subsidies. In a narrower definition, figures accounted for about €2 billion below that level. From 2005...

Subsidies granted by the German federal government decreased in the 1998–2004 period. Since 2005, subsidies have increased. The transfers to the compulsory health insurance system were raised by very large amounts. Moreover, the subsidies for re-integrating the unemployed were raised. The...

If a wide definition of subsidies is used, the subsidies granted by the German Länder and their local authorities fell considerably from 65 billion euros in 2000 to (a projected) 61.3 billion euros in 2007. If a narrow definition is used, and arguable cases of subsidization are ignored, the...