Germany Rundfunkbeitrag Increase Calculator: Percentage Change
Work out the percentage increase in the German broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) between two amounts — and the difference per year — when the public-broadcasting contribution is changed.
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Fee increase | Change |
|---|---|---|
| €200 to €220/yr (+10%) | 10.00% | 20 |
| €18.36 to €18.94/mo (+3.2%) | 3.16% | 0.58 |
| €210 to €220.32/yr | 4.91% | 10.32 |
| €17.50 to €18.36/mo (older increase) | 4.91% | 0.86 |
How This Calculator Works
Enter the previous and new fee (both annual, or both monthly). The calculator finds the percentage increase and the difference. The Rundfunkbeitrag is a flat per-household contribution funding public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio), recently about €18.36 per month, so an annual figure is roughly €220.
The Formula
Percentage Change
Old is the starting value, New is the ending value
Worked Example
A broadcasting fee rising from €200 to €220 a year is a 10% increase — €20 more a year. The Rundfunkbeitrag (often still called the GEZ fee after the former collection agency) is a mandatory contribution levied per household in Germany, regardless of whether you actually own a TV or radio — every household pays the same flat amount to fund public-service broadcasting. Increases are proposed by an independent commission (KEF) and must be approved by the federal states (Länder), which is why changes are infrequent and sometimes politically contested.
Key Insight
The Rundfunkbeitrag is a distinctive and frequently-debated German charge, and a few points clarify it. It's a per-household fee — not per person or per device — so a household pays one flat contribution (recently around €18.36/month) regardless of how many people live there or whether they own a TV, radio, or just an internet connection; the logic since a 2013 reform is that the contribution funds public broadcasting as a public good available to all, decoupled from device ownership. It funds the public broadcasters ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio. The amount is set through a defined process: the independent KEF commission assesses the broadcasters' funding needs and recommends a fee, which the 16 federal states must then approve unanimously — a process that has produced legal disputes when states blocked an increase, with the Federal Constitutional Court intervening. This is why fee changes are occasional and the percentage of any change is closely watched. Reductions and exemptions exist for people on certain social benefits, students receiving BAföG, and the severely disabled (who may pay a reduced rate). For residents, the fee is collected by the Beitragsservice and is effectively unavoidable for a registered household (one contribution per dwelling, so flatmates/WG share one fee). This calculator shows the size of any increase and its annual euro effect; whether you can reduce it depends on qualifying for an exemption or reduction rather than on usage, since the fee doesn't depend on what you watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the broadcasting fee increase calculated?
Subtract the old fee from the new one, divide by the old fee, and multiply by 100. From €200 to €220 a year is a 10% increase (€20 more a year). Enter both figures as annual or both as monthly for a correct comparison.
Who has to pay the Rundfunkbeitrag?
Every household in Germany — it's a flat per-household contribution (recently ~€18.36/month), regardless of how many people live there or whether they own a TV or radio. Since a 2013 reform it's decoupled from device ownership, on the basis that public broadcasting is a public good available to everyone.
Why is it charged even if I don't own a TV?
Because since 2013 the fee is per household, not per device. The reasoning is that public-service broadcasting (ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio) is available to all households via TV, radio, and online, so the contribution funds the service as a public good rather than charging for specific equipment. Owning no TV doesn't exempt you.
How is the fee amount decided?
An independent commission (KEF) assesses the broadcasters' funding needs and recommends a fee, which the 16 federal states (Länder) must approve. Disputes — where states blocked an increase — have reached the Federal Constitutional Court. This process makes fee changes infrequent and sometimes politically contested, which is why each increase draws attention.
Can I reduce or avoid the fee?
Not based on usage — but exemptions and reductions exist for people receiving certain social benefits, students on BAföG, and the severely disabled. Flatmates sharing a dwelling pay one fee per household, not per person. Otherwise the fee is effectively unavoidable for a registered household and collected by the Beitragsservice.
Related Calculators
Methodology & Review
The increase is the change between the new and old fee divided by the old fee, multiplied by 100. It compares two broadcasting-fee amounts; enter both as annual or both as monthly figures consistently.
Written by Ugo Candido · Last updated May 22, 2026.