Population Growth in Germany Slows Down Slightly in 2024, Hitting a Record High of 83.6 Million
Record-breaking population resides in Germany nowadays.
Live in Germany, you say? Well, more people than ever before are doing just that. The German population is hovering around a record-breaking 83.6 million, a growth of approximately 0.1 percent from the previous year, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office.
Indeed, this growth is a teensy bit slower compared to the previous year, with the increase in population decelerating from 0.4 percent in 2023 to just 0.1 percent in 2024[1][2]. This decrease in growth rate implies a significant slowdown.
The increased population is not due to a baby boom but, rather, immigration[1][2]. In fact, this specific year saw a decrease in net migration from plus 660,000 in 2023 to 420,000 in 2024. However, a slight excess of births over deaths, approximately 330,000, may also be contributing to the increased population[1][2].
Regional Differences
The population grew by 0.2 percent in the western federal states, while it decreased by 0.3 percent in the eastern federal states. The substantial population rise in Bavaria, accounting for a whopping 73,000 people, and the city-states of Berlin and Hamburg with a staggering 0.6 percent growth, stood out as the notable exceptions. Conversely, Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt recorded population losses[1].
Ageing Population
The growth patterns vary dramatically depending on the age group[1]. For instance, there has been an increase in the population aged 60 to 79 (up 2.2 percent) and a decrease in the population aged 40 to 59 (down 1.4 percent). This anomaly is attributed to the baby boom year 1964 moving into the 60 to 79 age group[1]. The number of people aged 80 and over also slightly increased in 2024.
Intriguingly, as many as 30.5 percent of the population in Germany were 60 years or older during the census in 2024[1].
Increasing Diversity
The foreign population surged by 2.3 percent in the same year, reaching 12.4 million, while the domestic population saw a small decrease of 0.2 percent, leading to an increase in the foreigner percentage to 14.8 percent[1]. The foreigner percentage was highest among the 20 to 59 age group (19.7 percent), and lowest among those aged 60 or older (6.3 percent)[1].
The most significant groups in 2024 were Turks, Ukrainians, Syrians, Romanians, and Poles[1].
Sources: ntv.de, mbr/dpa
[1] Federal Statistical Office[2] ntv.de[3] German broadcasters’ joint initiative, dpa (Deutscher Presse-Agentur)
- The slowdown in population growth, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office, may prompt discussions about the government's employment policy and community policy, given the increasing diversity in Germany.
- As politics continue to shape the general-news landscape in Germany, the ongoing discussion about the increasing foreigner percentage and the consequences for employment policies, particularly in the context of the ageing population, remains a critical topic.
