Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) have narrowly won the country's federal elections, beating the party of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to preliminary results.
The SPD secured 25.7% of the vote, while the ruling conservative CDU/CSU bloc gained 24.1%.
The Greens achieved the best result in their party's history, coming in third with 14.8% of the ballot.
A coalition must now be created to form a government.
Exit polls predicted a dead heat, but this election has been unpredictable from the start, BBC reported.
The successor's task is to lead Europe's foremost economy over the next four years, with climate change at the top of voters' agenda.
