Economy
In Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate mainly stands for wine, although its industrial share of the total German economic output is higher than the national average. The gross domestic product for Rhineland-Palatinate amounted to 149.1 billion euros in 2018. This is an increase of 1.7% on the previous year. At 4.4 % (2018), the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in Germany. The cornerstones of the success of the Rhineland-Palatinate economy are foreign trade, industry and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
With an export ratio of over 50% of economic output, Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the strongest export states in the Federal Republic of Germany. Rhineland-Palatinate is centrally located at the centre of important sales markets. This makes the state attractive for many companies. Because of its pronounced international orientation, the domestic economy must be measured against the conditions on the world markets.
The backbone of the Rhineland-Palatinate economy is formed by medium-sized companies: 96% of the companies are SMEs (fewer than 500 employees), just under 75% of all employees find a job here and around 85% of trainees find a training place here.
Tourism also plays an important role. More than 190,000 employed people in Rhineland-Palatinate find employment directly or indirectly through tourism. With an annual turnover volume of over 7 billion euros, tourism is one of the strongest economic sectors in the state.
Economic policy for small and medium-sized enterprises has top priority in Rhineland-Palatinate. This includes, for example, the promotion of modern technology. After extensive investments in the development of a modern research infrastructure, Rhineland-Palatinate now has a dense network of practice-oriented technology transfer offices.
In order to have an advantage in the competition between locations, the state is taking pioneering paths in economic development. With the Investitions- und Strukturbank Rheinland-Pfalz (ISB), founded in 1993, a decisive course has been set for effective and business-friendly promotion measures. The bundling of promotional activities under one roof ensures lower bureaucratic costs and immediate, competent assistance for interested entrepreneurs. For example, ISB accompanies the start-up offensive launched by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1996 with a comprehensive range of services and financing.
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Broschüre "Rheinland-Pfalz lädt ein"
zusammengestellt von Annika Kristeit