Recent growth figures, leading indicators and signals from the financial markets suggest that the German economy is performing better than the prevailing sentiment would suggest. Analysis by DWSPublic perception suggests that the German economy remains marked by the crises of recent years. However, at the same time, they have helped to construct a narrative that is no longer fully aligned with the most recent economic data. Better economic data does not mean that all of Germany’s structural challenges have been resolved. This gap between perception and reality could be one of the defining features of the German economy in 2026.