The German Finance Ministry said on Wednesday that the country's budget surplus was €12.1 billion in 2015, up from the previous forecast of a €6.1 billion surplus. The surplus was driven by strong tax revenues and one-off effects.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said that he expects a balanced budget in 2016 if the domestic labour market will remain robust. He added that the surplus will be used to cover migration-related costs.