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...

The total population in Germany was estimated at 83.6 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Germany Population - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Historical dataset showing total population for Germany by year from 1950 to 2025.

In 1938, the year before the outbreak of the Second world War, the countries with the largest populations were China, the Soviet Union, and the United States, although the United Kingdom had the largest overall population when it's colonies, dominions, and metropole are combined. Alongside France, these were the five Allied "Great Powers" that emerged victorious from the Second World War. The Axis Powers in the war were led by Germany and Japan in their respective theaters, and their smaller populations were decisive factors in their defeat. Manpower as a resource In the context of the Second World War, a country or territory's population played a vital role in its ability to wage war on such a large scale. Not only were armies able to call upon their people to fight in the war and replenish their forces, but war economies were also dependent on their workforce being able to meet the agricultural, manufacturing, and logistical demands of the war. For the Axis powers, invasions and the annexation of territories were often motivated by the fact that it granted access to valuable resources that would further their own war effort - millions of people living in occupied territories were then forced to gather these resources, or forcibly transported to work in manufacturing in other Axis territories. Similarly, colonial powers were able to use resources taken from their territories to supply their armies, however this often had devastating consequences for the regions from which food was redirected, contributing to numerous food shortages and famines across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Men from annexed or colonized territories were also used in the armies of the war's Great Powers, and in the Axis armies especially. This meant that soldiers often fought alongside their former-enemies. Aftermath The Second World War was the costliest in human history, resulting in the deaths of between 70 and 85 million people. Due to the turmoil and destruction of the war, accurate records for death tolls generally do not exist, therefore pre-war populations (in combination with other statistics), are used to estimate death tolls. The Soviet Union is believed to have lost the largest amount of people during the war, suffering approximately 24 million fatalities by 1945, followed by China at around 20 million people. The Soviet death toll is equal to approximately 14 percent of its pre-war population - the countries with the highest relative death tolls in the war are found in Eastern Europe, due to the intensity of the conflict and the systematic genocide committed in the region during the war.

In 2024, the population in Germany, as of December 31 of that year, amounted to around 83.6 million people. This was an increase compared to the previous year.

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

This line chart displays population (people) by date using the aggregation sum in Germany. The data is about countries per year.

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.

Yearly (annual) dataset of the Germany Population, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1960-12-31 to 2024-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Berlin, Germany metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Actual value and historical data chart for Germany Population Ages 65 And Above Percent Of Total

Historical dataset showing Germany urban population by year from 1960 to 2023.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Frankfurt am Main, Germany metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Population ages 50-54, male (% of male population) in Germany was reported at 6.6459 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Germany - Population ages 50-54, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Time series data for the statistic Population, age 7, female and country Germany. Indicator Definition:Age population, female refers to female population at the specified age level, as estimated by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.The indicator "Population, age 7, female" stands at 335.41 Thousand as of 12/31/2015, the lowest value at least since 12/31/1991, the period currently displayed. Regarding the Three-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes a decrease of -2.86 percent compared to the value three years prior.The 3 year change in percent is -2.86.The 5 year change in percent is -5.76.The 10 year change in percent is -14.08.The Serie's long term average value is 399.79 Thousand. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2015, is 16.10 percent lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent from it's minimum value, on 12/31/2015, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2015, is +0.0%.The Serie's change in percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/1995, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2015, is -26.41%.

Population ages 75-79, male (% of male population) in Germany was reported at 3.5621 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Germany - Population ages 75-79, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Germany Population: East data was reported at 16,147.618 Person th in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16,163.795 Person th for 2020. Germany Population: East data is updated yearly, averaging 16,722.586 Person th from Dec 1950 (Median) to 2021, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,388.172 Person th in 1950 and a record low of 15,119.530 Person th in 2000. Germany Population: East data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistisches Bundesamt. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.G001: Population.

Subject of the datacompilation is the description of the natural and geographical population movement in modern german history. Topics Time Series Data in the downloadsystem HISTAT: Population and Population StructureA.1 Size of Population and Population GrowthA.2 Population Development in international comparisonA.3 Population by age-groupsA.4 Population by sexA.5 Population by municipal sizeA.6 Population by social characteristics (Family Status, Religious Denomination)A.7 Population by State/region (German States of FRG, GDR) B. Population movementB.1 Marriages and DevorcesB.2 Birth Statistics and Fertility StatisticsB.3 MortalityB.4 Infant Mortality Statistics C. Migration Statistics D. Household Size and Family Structure

Time series data for the statistic Population ages 80 and above, female and country Germany. Indicator Definition:Female population between the ages 80 and above.The indicator "Population ages 80 and above, female" stands at 3.82 Million as of 12/31/2024. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes a decrease of -0.0578 percent compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percent is -0.0578.The 3 year change in percent is 2.92.The 5 year change in percent is 11.47.The 10 year change in percent is 31.04.The Serie's long term average value is 2.07 Million. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is 84.79 percent higher, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent from it's minimum value, on 12/31/1960, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is +481.34%.The Serie's change in percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/2023, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is -0.0578%.

View yearly updates and historical trends for Germany Population Growth. Source: World Bank. Track economic data with YCharts analytics.