Declining Population Persists in Stuttgart Due to Reduced Immigration Levels
Stuttgart Experiences Significant Population Decline in First Half of 2025
Stuttgart, Germany, has seen a notable decrease in its population in the first half of 2025, marking a continued trend of population decline in the city. The population stood at 606,682 as of June 30, 2025, a decrease of 2,652 people compared to the end of 2024.
The primary factors contributing to this decline are a negative natural population balance and net migration loss, particularly among foreign residents. In the first half of 2025, Stuttgart recorded 2,609 births but 3,026 deaths, resulting in a natural population decrease of 417 people. This reflects a continuing trend of falling birth rates and rising death rates.
Moreover, the foreign population in Stuttgart decreased both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the total population. For the first time since 2021, the foreign population had a negative net migration of minus 54 people in early 2025, reversing a previous positive gain. The German population itself also declined but less sharply (906 fewer people) compared to the 1,746 decline in foreigners.
An increased number of foreign residents were granted German citizenship in early 2025 (1,756 people, up from 1,134 in the same period in 2024). Although a positive sign for integration, this reduces the number of foreigners and thus affects the foreign population statistics in Stuttgart.
The decline in Stuttgart's population has been ongoing for four consecutive half-years. This trend is influenced by housing and suburbanization trends, where Stuttgart city itself experiences a slight population decline (-0.2% between 2018-2023), while surrounding municipalities grow steadily, driven by preferences for suburban living and increasing housing stock outside the core city. This out-migration to suburbs contributes indirectly to Stuttgart’s population decrease.
Broader demographic and socio-economic dynamics affecting Germany also play a role in Stuttgart's population decline. These include high living costs, delayed family formation, changing societal values, and an aging population with a low birth rate well below replacement level, which also reinforce population decline patterns in urban centers like Stuttgart.
In 2024, the migration balance deficit was only 150 people. However, the migration balance in Stuttgart between January and June 2025 showed a deficit of 2,235 people, marking an improvement compared to the 2024 deficit of 2,385 people. This improvement may be attributed to the increased number of naturalizations in Stuttgart in the first half of 2025.
For the first time since 2021, more people moved abroad from Stuttgart than moved into the city, further contributing to the population decline.
[1] City of Stuttgart, Statistical Office (2025). Population Development in Stuttgart. [2] City of Stuttgart, Office for Urban Development and Housing (2023). Housing Market and Suburbanization Trends. [3] German Federal Statistical Office (2023). Demographic Report Germany. [4] European Commission (2022). Demographic Challenges in Europe.
- The negative migration balance, particularly among foreign residents, and a continuing trend of falling birth rates in combination with rising death rates, have made politics surrounding housing, population growth, and integration a significant focus in Stuttgart, Germany.
- The general-news of Stuttgart's population decline is multifaceted, influenced by factors such as housing and suburbanization trends, changing societal values, and high living costs, which have contributed to a four-year consecutive decrease in the city's population.
