Germany’s economy registered healthy growth in 2015 and it will be able to use the surplus to help cover the costs involved in taking in more than one million refugees.
Europe’s biggest economy grew by 1.7% last year, according to the federal statistics office Destatis, after recording growth of 1.3% in 2014.
"The economic situation in Germany in 2015 was characterised by solid and consistent growth," said Destatis president Dieter Sarreither.
"Almost all industrial sectors saw growth," he said. That growth was driven primarily by domestic demand.
The agency also reported that GDP stood at €3,027 trillion, marking the first time that it was been more than three trillion.
The country had more than 43 million people in employment, the highest level since unification in 1990, Destatis said.
"We will urgently need the reserve to finance the additional services in accommodating and integrating the refugees," Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said.
Under current plans, the federal government will spend around €8 billion on refugees this year, and includes an anticipated 800,000 more refugees arriving in addition to the 1.1 million in 2015.
