North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has always been Germany's powerhouse with the largest economy among the German states by GDP figures. If NRW were a sovereign country, it would have an economy comparable to that of Switzerland in terms of nominal gross domestic product (GDP) as of 2020. Of all German states, most money from abroad is invested in NRW. NRW.INVEST Due to underfunding, citizen resistance to major projects and a lack of staff, political willingness and planning capacities, the state's infrastructure is seen as in need of improvement.