Germany
Key engagement
Australia and Germany work closely to advance bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation.
Cooperation between Australia and Germany is underpinned by shared values and commitment to the international rules-based order. An Enhanced Strategic Partnership, signed in 2021, provides a foundation for strategic cooperation in the Indo Pacific, stronger economic cooperation, and joint support for the multilateral system and its institutions.
Germany's Indo-Pacific Policy Guidelines underpin its growing engagement in our region. As part of this engagement, Australia hosted the German frigate Bayern in October 2021 during its six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Germany has increased its involvement in Indo-Pacific military exercises, such as participating alongside Australia and other nations in Exercises Pitch Black and Kakadu for the first time in 2022 and Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Australia and Germany cooperate closely across a range of initiatives for climate action and the clean energy transition.
Bilateral relations
Australia and Germany have a warm, vibrant and diverse bilateral relationship. Germany is a close and strategic partner for Australia with a common strategic outlook, shared values and a commitment to the rules-based international order, including in the Indo-Pacific. We work together to support multilateralism, human rights, trade liberalisation, and shared defence and security objectives. We work closely in multilateral forums, including the UN and G20.
Foreign policy
Germany contributes actively to international peace and prosperity. Germany is the EU's largest economy and largest contributor to the EU budget. Germany is a strong supporter of multilateralism and fourth-largest contributor to the UN budget. It is a leader in responding to challenges on energy security, climate change, nuclear non‑proliferation and counterterrorism. NATO is a central pillar of German defence and security policy.
Fast Facts
German visitors to Australia (2023)
151,870
Australian resident returns from Germany (2023)
93,580
Resident Australian population born in Germany (2021 census)
101,255
Australian residents of German descent (2021 census)
1,026,138
German working holidaymakers (June 2023)
6,370
German students in Australia (2023)
4,230
High level engagement
May 2024
Foreign Minister Penny Wong met German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Adelaide
July 2023
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
September 2023
November 2022
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the margins of the G20 Leaders Summit in Bali.
July 2022
Foreign Minister Penny Wong met German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali.
Agreements with Germany
Australia has numerous bilateral agreements with Germany, including on social security, double taxation, trade and cultural cooperation.
Texts of bilateral agreements are available at the Australian Treaties Database.
Public diplomacy
The Australian Embassy in Berlin promotes bilateral trade and investment as well as Australia's research expertise and innovation, Indo-Pacific perspectives, and arts and culture – including our rich Indigenous history and culture – through in-person events and digital diplomacy.
A significant number of Australian artists are based in, or visit, Germany, showcasing expertise in music, performing and visual arts, literature and arts management. The cultural diversity of both countries supports a long history of exchange in culture, arts and sport. The Australian Embassy in Berlin promotes numerous festivals and events in Germany that showcase Australian art and culture. In 2022 this included the landmark exhibition 'Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters' at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin.
Germany is a large source of student enrolments in Australia. Postgraduate studies provide Australian institutions with the greatest opportunities to enter the German market, particularly in the areas of Information Technology, International Law, and International Business and Technology.
Economic diplomacy
Australia's economic relationship with Germany is substantial. Germany is Australia's 11th largest trade partner, with two-way trade totalling $28.9 billion in 2022-23. Germany is Australia's sixth largest source of imports, comprising mostly transport services, cars and medicaments.
Australian investment stock in Germany in 2022 totalled $71.6 billion, while Germany's total investment stock in Australia was valued at $52.5 billion. German investment spans automotive and manufacturing, information and communications technology, agri-food, pharmaceuticals, defence, energy and health.
With 450,700 researchers in full-time employment, Germany has one of the highest levels of permanent research capacity in the world, behind only China, the United States and Japan. Australia-Germany research collaboration is strong. Germany currently ranks third globally in terms of the number of research collaborations with Australian Research Council-funded researchers, with 604 projects funded for 2023 worth $277,313,086.
Cooperation on climate action, renewable energy and critical minerals is an important pillar of the bilateral economic relationship. Australia and Germany will be key trading partners in the green transition with strong economic complementarity and opportunities to collaborate closely in renewable energy, green hydrogen and critical minerals supply chains.
Our Hydrogen Accord (2021), was the first agreement of its kind by the German government. It includes a joint HyGATE Initiative, intended to support real-world pilot, trial and demonstration projects along the hydrogen supply chain. The Accord also seeks to advance industry-to-industry cooperation and strengthen global trade for renewable hydrogen, building on Germany's H2Global scheme, a mechanism that will support the international market ramp up of green hydrogen exports to Germany.
Following agreement in January 2023 between Minister Bowen and Vice-Chancellor Habeck, Australia and Germany have been expanding energy and climate collaboration.
More economic and trade information.
Australia continues to seek opportunities to promote Australian business and raise awareness of potential benefits of increased trade and investment between Australia and Europe, including Germany.
Business
There are approximately 600 German companies employing more than 60,000 people in Australia. Some of the major German companies in Australia include Siemens, Bosch, Fuchs, Carl Zeiss (Advanced manufacturing); SAP Research, Software AG (ICT); Evonik, Fresenius Medical Care (Pharmaceuticals); DB Schenker, DHL, Deutsche Bahn, (Logistics, transport and mobility); Allianz, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, (Banking/insurance); BayWa, Enercon, Innogy, RWE, Senvion (Clean energy); Heidelberg Cement/Hanson Australia, BOC/Linde (Materials); Remondis (Waste Management & Water); BASF, Bayer, CSB Engineering, Dr Oetker, Kaufland, Nordzucker (Food and agriculture); and Luerssen, Rheinmetall, ThyssenKrupp (Defence).
Over 160 Australian companies employing around 17,000 people have a presence in Germany, including Macquarie (Infrastructure); IFM, ANZ (Finance); Transfield (Energy); Adina Apartments (Tourism); CSL Behring, Cochlear, Resmed, SDI, Sonic Healthcare, Grey Innovation (Medical devices); Nufarm (Food and agriculture); Goodman (Logistics); Cohda Wireless, Computershare, Telstra (Digital technologies); Flame Productions, Greencorp Magnetics (Media); and Amcor (Packaging).
More information on Austrade and doing business in Germany.