Deutsche Bank made a loss last year, its first since being restructured after World War II.
The global financial crisis meant Germany's biggest bank reported a net loss of 3.9 billion euros ($US5 billion) in 2008 following a profit of 6.5 billion euros in 2007.
The BBC reported the biggest deficit was in the fourth quarter, with the bank reporting a net loss of 4.8 billion euros.
Deutsche boss Josef Ackermann warned that the banking industry faced a tough future as the global economy worsened.
To date, Deutsche Bank has fared better than its rivals from the credit crunch and has not sought government help.
Barclays and RBS are due to report their earnings later this month.
