The past two years have seen Germany's population fall, with 2025's drop projected to be the second largest decrease since 1950. The largest single-year increase came in 2015, in the midst of the Syrian refugee crisis, where over one million Syrians eventually settled in Germany.

Population growth (annual %) in Germany was reported at --0.46708 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Germany - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Currently, the German population amounts to around ***** million. This number is predicted to rise in the following years, at least until 2025, after which population numbers will decrease, amounting to ***** million people by 2045. The average age of the German population increased slightly in the last decade.

The total population of Germany was estimated at over 84.4 million inhabitants in 2025, although it is projected to drop in the coming years and fall below 80 million in 2043. Germany is the most populous country located entirely in Europe, and is third largest when Russia and Turkey are included. Germany's prosperous economy makes it a popular destination for immigrants of all backgrounds, which has kept its population above 80 million for several decades. Population growth and stability has depended on immigration In every year since 1972, Germany has had a higher death rate than its birth rate, meaning its population is in natural decline. However, Germany's population has rarely dropped below its 1972 figure of 78.6 million, and, in fact, peaked at 84.7 million in 2024, all due to its high net immigration rate. Over the past 75 years, the periods that saw the highest population growth rates were; the 1960s, due to the second wave of the post-WWII baby boom; the 1990s, due to post-reunification immigration; and since the 2010s, due to high arrivals of refugees from conflict zones in Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine. Does falling population = economic decline? Current projections predict that Germany's population will fall to almost 70 million by the next century. Germany's fertility rate currently sits around 1.5 births per woman, which is well below the repacement rate of 2.1 births per woman. Population aging and decline present a major challenge economies, as more resources must be invested in elderly care, while the workforce shrinks and there are fewer taxpayers contributing to social security. Countries such as Germany have introduced more generous child benefits and family friendly policies, although these are yet to prove effective in creating a cultural shift. Instead, labor shortages are being combatted via automation and immigration, however, both these solutions are met with resistance among large sections of the population and have become defining political issues of our time.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for Germany (SPPOPGROWDEU) from 1961 to 2024 about Germany, population, and rate.

Historical dataset showing Germany population growth rate by year from 1961 to 2023.

Germany DE: Urban Population Growth data was reported at -0.469 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.855 % for 2022. Germany DE: Urban Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.367 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2023, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.207 % in 1961 and a record low of -1.602 % in 2011. Germany DE: Urban Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.;World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.;Weighted average;

In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Germany was split into four zones, each administered by France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union respectively. In 1949, the Soviet-controlled zone formed the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), while the rest became the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). In this time, Berlin was also split into four zones, and the three non-Soviet zones formed West Berlin, which was a part of West Germany (although the West's administrative capital was moved to Bonn). One population grows, while the other declines Between 1949 and 1961, an estimated 2.7 million people migrated from East to West Germany. East Germany had a communist government with a socialist economy and was a satellite state of the Soviet Union, whereas West Germany was a liberal democracy with a capitalist economy, and western autonomy increased over time. Because of this difference, West Germany was a much freer society with more economic opportunities. During the German partition, the population of the west grew, from 51 million in 1950 to 62.7 million in 1989, whereas the population of East Germany declined from 18.4 million to just 16.4 million during this time. Little change after reunification In 1989, after four decades of separation, the process of German reunification began. The legal and physical barriers that had split the country were removed, and Germans could freely travel within the entire country. Despite this development, population growth patterns did not change. The population of the 'new states' (East Germany) continued to decline, whereas the population of the west grew, particularly in the 1990s, the first decade after reunification. The reasons for this continued imbalance between German population in the east and west, is mostly due to a low birth rate and internal migration within Germany. Despite the fact that levels of income and unemployment in the new states have gotten closer to those reported for the west (a major obstacle after reunification), life and opportunities in the west continue to attract young Germans from rural areas in the east with detrimental effect on the economy and demography of the new states.

Germany DE: Rural Population Growth data was reported at 0.288 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.257 % for 2022. Germany DE: Rural Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging -0.165 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2023, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.858 % in 1989 and a record low of -2.700 % in 2011. Germany DE: Rural Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.;World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.;Weighted average;

Urban population growth (annual %) in Germany was reported at --0.30005 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Germany - Urban population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Since 1972, Germany's population has experienced more deaths than births in each year; therefore, Germany's population has been in a natural decline for over five decades. 2022 also marked a new milestone, as Germany's natural population saw a reduction of more than 300,000 people, and this has been the case in every subsequent year. Despite Germany's natural population falling every year for over 50 years, its population has remained high and even grown in many of these years due to a high net migration rate.

Population growth rate of Germany sank by 476.81% from 0.1 % in 2023 to -0.5 % in 2024. Since the 1,603.11% jump in 2022, population growth rate plummeted by 164.79% in 2024. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of the country of origin.

Rural population growth (annual %) in Germany was reported at --1.0535 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Germany - Rural population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the German township population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of German township across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2023, the population of German township was 4,485, a 1.23% decrease year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, German township population was 4,541, a decline of 1.43% compared to a population of 4,607 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of German township decreased by 1,149. In this period, the peak population was 5,634 in the year 2000. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2023

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2023)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the German township is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in German township population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for German township Population by Year. You can refer the same here

Germany: Population size, in millions: The latest value from 2024 is 83.51 million, a decline from 83.9 million in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 41.28 million, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Germany from 1960 to 2024 is 79.86 million. The minimum value, 72.81 million, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 83.9 million was recorded in 2023.

Germany DE: Population: Growth data was reported at -0.620 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.721 % for 2022. Germany DE: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.183 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2023, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.926 % in 1963 and a record low of -1.854 % in 2011. Germany DE: Population: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.;Derived from total population. Population source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years).;Weighted average;

In 1800, the region of Germany was not a single, unified nation, but a collection of decentralized, independent states, bound together as part of the Holy Roman Empire. This empire was dissolved, however, in 1806, during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras in Europe, and the German Confederation was established in 1815. Napoleonic reforms led to the abolition of serfdom, extension of voting rights to property-owners, and an overall increase in living standards. The population grew throughout the remainder of the century, as improvements in sanitation and medicine (namely, mandatory vaccination policies) saw child mortality rates fall in later decades. As Germany industrialized and the economy grew, so too did the argument for nationhood; calls for pan-Germanism (the unification of all German-speaking lands) grew more popular among the lower classes in the mid-1800s, especially following the revolutions of 1948-49. In contrast, industrialization and poor harvests also saw high unemployment in rural regions, which led to waves of mass migration, particularly to the U.S.. In 1886, the Austro-Prussian War united northern Germany under a new Confederation, while the remaining German states (excluding Austria and Switzerland) joined following the Franco-Prussian War in 1871; this established the German Empire, under the Prussian leadership of Emperor Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. 1871 to 1945 - Unification to the Second World War The first decades of unification saw Germany rise to become one of Europe's strongest and most advanced nations, and challenge other world powers on an international scale, establishing colonies in Africa and the Pacific. These endeavors were cut short, however, when the Austro-Hungarian heir apparent was assassinated in Sarajevo; Germany promised a "blank check" of support for Austria's retaliation, who subsequently declared war on Serbia and set the First World War in motion. Viewed as the strongest of the Central Powers, Germany mobilized over 11 million men throughout the war, and its army fought in all theaters. As the war progressed, both the military and civilian populations grew increasingly weakened due to malnutrition, as Germany's resources became stretched. By the war's end in 1918, Germany suffered over 2 million civilian and military deaths due to conflict, and several hundred thousand more during the accompanying influenza pandemic. Mass displacement and the restructuring of Europe's borders through the Treaty of Versailles saw the population drop by several million more.

Reparations and economic mismanagement also financially crippled Germany and led to bitter indignation among many Germans in the interwar period; something that was exploited by Adolf Hitler on his rise to power. Reckless printing of money caused hyperinflation in 1923, when the currency became so worthless that basic items were priced at trillions of Marks; the introduction of the Rentenmark then stabilized the economy before the Great Depression of 1929 sent it back into dramatic decline. When Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the Nazi government disregarded the Treaty of Versailles' restrictions and Germany rose once more to become an emerging superpower. Hitler's desire for territorial expansion into eastern Europe and the creation of an ethnically-homogenous German empire then led to the invasion of Poland in 1939, which is considered the beginning of the Second World War in Europe. Again, almost every aspect of German life contributed to the war effort, and more than 13 million men were mobilized. After six years of war, and over seven million German deaths, the Axis powers were defeated and Germany was divided into four zones administered by France, the Soviet Union, the UK, and the U.S.. Mass displacement, shifting borders, and the relocation of peoples based on ethnicity also greatly affected the population during this time. 1945 to 2020 - Partition and Reunification In the late 1940s, cold war tensions led to two distinct states emerging in Germany; the Soviet-controlled east became the communist German Democratic Republic (DDR), and the three western zones merged to form the democratic Federal Republic of Germany. Additionally, Berlin was split in a similar fashion, although its location deep inside DDR territory created series of problems and opportunities for the those on either side. Life quickly changed depending on which side of the border one lived. Within a decade, rapid economic recovery saw West Germany become western Europe's strongest economy and a key international player. In the east, living standards were much lower, although unemployment was almost non-existent; internationally, East Germany was the strongest economy in the Eastern Bloc (after the USSR), though it eventually fell behind the West by the 1970s. The restriction of movement between the two states also led to labor shortages in t...

Following a spike to 2.5 children per woman in the mid-1960s (during the second wave of the post-WWII baby boom), Germany's fertility rate then fell sharply to around 1.5 children per woman in the 1970s, and it has fluctuated between 1.2 and 1.6 children per woman ever since. Germany's fertility rate has been below the natural replacement level of roughly 2.1 children per woman since 1970, meaning that long-term natural population growth is unsustainable. In fact, Germany has experienced a natural population decline in every year since 1972, and its population has only grown or been sustained at its current level through high net immigration rates.Find more statistics on other topics about Germany with key insights such as crude birth rate, life expectancy of women at birth, and total life expectancy at birth.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the German Flatts town population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of German Flatts town across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2023, the population of German Flatts town was 12,079, a 0.29% decrease year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, German Flatts town population was 12,114, a decline of 0.76% compared to a population of 12,207 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of German Flatts town decreased by 1,577. In this period, the peak population was 13,656 in the year 2000. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2023

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2023)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the German Flatts town is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in German Flatts town population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for German Flatts town Population by Year. You can refer the same here

The DACH region refers to the Central European area of Germany (D), Austria (A), and Switzerland (CH). In 2024, these countries had a combined population of ****** million people. Germany is, by far, the largest of the three countries, with a population of more than ***** million; almost ten times larger than those of Austria or Switzerland. Growth rates However, population growth across the region has been relatively slow during the past two decades, with Germany's population growing by fewer than two million since 2000, which is an increase of just two percent. In contrast, Austria's population has grown by roughly 12 percent, while Switzerland's has increased by over 20 percent, but the overall change in the DACH region's population is less than five percent due to the disproportionate amount of people in Germany. Migration The reason for low population growth is due to the historically low birth rates in Germany. Since 1972, Germany's death rate has consistently exceeded its birth rate, giving an overall natural decline. Austria and Switzerland have also experienced similar trends in some years, but generally see a natural increase. Because of this, population growth is often dependent on migration. The most significant rise in the DACH area's population came in around 2015, during the Syrian migrant crisis. In Europe, Germany took in the largest number of Syrian refugees during this period, while Austria had one of the highest acceptance rates in proportion to its population. This is in addition to the relatively high number of refugees Germany and Austria accept from other countries, especially Afghanistan. Not all migrants are refugees, however, as the high living standards in all three countries attract large numbers of economic migrants from the rest of the world, especially Southern and Eastern Europe.