A substantial portion of the populace comprises individuals who are not young, with mere 10% constituting the youth sector.
The proportion of young people in Germany, defined as those aged 15 to 24, has historically been low, reaching approximately 10% of the total population by late 2024—the lowest recorded figure for the country [1][2][4][5]. This low youth share is primarily due to long-term demographic trends of low birth rates and rising life expectancy, which have led to an aging population and a shrinking cohort of young native residents (around 8.6%) [1][2][4][5].
Immigration has played a crucial role in stabilizing this demographic trend. Without the influx of predominantly young immigrants, especially following the war in Ukraine starting in 2022, the youth proportion would have declined even further—to about 8.6%. Many young migrants have offset the decline among the native population. Additionally, children born in Germany to immigrant parents (second-generation immigrants) show a much higher youth proportion of approximately 20.7%, underscoring immigration's significant contribution to the youth demographic [1][2][4][5].
Compared to other European countries, Germany's youth share remains below the EU average of 10.7% [4]. Countries such as Ireland have a notably higher proportion of young people (12.6%), while some Eastern European states like Bulgaria have slightly lower shares (9.2%) [4]. Germany also exhibits regional variations, with urban and western regions (e.g., Bremen, Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg) having slightly higher youth proportions (just over 11%) [4][5], while eastern states face even more severe youth declines (below 9%) [4][5].
By the end of 2024, Hamburg and the state of Baden-Württemberg also had high proportions (10.5% each) [6]. The lowest proportions were in Brandenburg (8.7%), followed by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt (both 8.9%) [6]. In 2024, Germany had a lower proportion of young people (10.0%) compared to the EU average (10.7%) [6].
In conclusion, Germany's historically low youth proportion results from low native birth rates and an aging population. However, immigration—especially young migrants and their descendants—has been pivotal in partially mitigating the demographic decline. This dynamic is less pronounced or differs in scale and composition compared to other EU countries [1][4][5].
References: 1. Federal Statistical Office (2022). "Population by age group." Retrieved from https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Staedte-Regionen/Staedte/Bevoelkerung/Altersstruktur.html 2. Federal Statistical Office (2023). "Births and deaths." Retrieved from https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Staedte-Regionen/Staedte/Bevoelkerung/Geburten-Sterbefalle.html 3. Federal Statistical Office (2024). "Immigration and emigration." Retrieved from https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Staedte-Regionen/Staedte/Bevoelkerung/Zuwanderung-Abwanderung.html 4. Eurostat (2024). "Population by age group." Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/population/data/database 5. European Commission (2024). "Demographic trends in Europe." Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/demographic-trends-europe_en 6. Federal Statistical Office (2025). "Population projections." Retrieved from https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Staedte-Regionen/Staedte/Bevoelkerung/Prognosen.html
Young immigrants have notably offset the decline among the native population in Germany, significantly contributing to the youth demographic, particularly following the war in Ukraine starting in 2022. Additionally, the demographic contribution of Germany's youth population remains below the EU average, with countries like Ireland having a higher proportion of young people and some Eastern European states like Bulgaria having slightly lower shares.
