The Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie published its 2025 figures on 27 May. Sector revenue reached 62 billion euros, a 19 percent increase on the prior year and the highest figure on record. Employment reached 130,000, also a record.
Military aviation was the fastest growing segment. Revenue rose 35 percent to 13.5 billion euros. The space segment grew 17 percent to 3.5 billion euros. Civil aviation grew 15 percent to 45 billion euros.
The industry invested four billion euros in research and development. Sixty-six percent of output was exported. BDLI president Michael Schöllhorn described the sector as "strategically relevant — economically, technologically, and security-politically."
The Statistisches Bundesamt published Germany's civil aviation figures for 2025 in the same week. Domestic passenger connections fell 50 percent against 2019. Eight percent of all German passenger flights are now domestic.
Prof K. Glasskügel of the Vienna Institute for Trend Analytics noted that the divergence between military and civil aviation revenue trajectories was "entirely consistent with established patterns of strategic reinvestment." He was asked to specify the patterns. He said the underlying parameters remain proprietary to the institute's technology partner.