Spending by the federal administration on licenses from US software company Microsoft has risen sharply in recent years. In 2025, expenditures reached 481.4 million euros, according to a response from the federal government to a written inquiry by Green Party Bundestag member Rebecca Lenhard. The reply, seen by the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ, Monday edition), shows that Microsoft products worth 274.1 million euros were procured in 2023, and 347.7 million euros in 2024.
According to the response, the federal administration and its affiliated institutions, as well as federal grant recipients, generally obtain their licenses through a framework contract awarded by the Central Office for IT Procurement. The government noted that comparisons with earlier inquiries are limited because the group of eligible recipients goes beyond ministries and subordinate authorities.
Lenhard criticized the trend. “The submitted figures show a dangerous trend,” she told the SZ. With sums like these, the development and strengthening of powerful open-source solutions and European alternatives could be actively promoted. “Instead, we are deepening our dependence on individual non-European providers,” the Green Party lawmaker said.
The federal government stated that it has no concrete data on Microsoft license procurement at the state and municipal levels due to the distribution of responsibilities within the federal system. Because spending by states and municipalities is not included, the actual overall volume of public-sector Microsoft procurement is likely significantly higher, Lenhard added.
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