Foreign direct investment announcements in Germany fell to 548 projects in 2025, the lowest since 2009 and marking an eighth straight annual decline, according to EY's annual survey as reported by the German Press Agency. This tracks a 10 percent drop from the prior year and places Germany third in Europe behind France and the United Kingdom. Primary data from national statistical offices and central banks, including Bundesbank balance-of-payments records, show net FDI inflows turning negative in several quarters since 2022, consistent with patterns in official Eurostat aggregates rather than media summaries. EY's Henrik Ahlers attributes the trend to high taxes, energy costs, labor expenses, and regulatory burdens, noting other European jurisdictions have advanced digital permitting and tax simplification. Official records from the Halle Institute document 4,573 corporate bankruptcies in Q1 2025, exceeding 2009 crisis peaks, while Destatis industrial employment data confirm cumulative losses exceeding 245,000 positions since 2019. Volkswagen's 2025 financial statements report a 44 percent profit decline to €6.9 billion alongside planned domestic workforce reductions of 50,000 by 2030, citing tariffs and restructuring costs. Multiple perspectives emerge in primary sources: the German government's coalition statements emphasize external shocks including energy supply disruptions post-2022, whereas opposition commentary from AfD leaders frames the figures as evidence of reform stagnation. OECD FDI statistics for 2023-2025 reveal parallel slowdowns in other high-regulation OECD economies, suggesting the German case forms part of wider capital reallocation toward lower-cost or less bureaucratic jurisdictions. Mainstream framing often isolates the decline to cyclical energy prices, yet Bundesbank and IMF working papers document persistent gaps in administrative efficiency and tax competitiveness that predate 2022. These indicators align with de-globalization metrics tracked in WTO and UNCTAD reports showing reduced cross-border project commitments across developed markets.