The portion of the populace comprised by the youth remains small in comparative terms - Young individuals continue to maintain a minimal activity or engagement level
In late 2024, Germany finds itself at a demographic crossroads, with a shrinking native youth population that is partially offset by immigration. According to statistics from the Federal Statistical Office, the proportion of young people (aged 15 to 24) in Germany stands at just 10% of the total population, a significant demographic decline when compared to many other EU member states.
Among native Germans, the youth share is even smaller at 8.6%, while among descendants of immigrants (people born in Germany to immigrant parents), the youth proportion is markedly higher, at 20.7%. This indicates that immigrant communities and their descendants play a crucial role in sustaining the youth population in Germany.
The youth population in Germany has remained stable at this low level since 2021, largely due to immigration, particularly from young immigrants arriving after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Without these immigration inflows, the youth share would have declined further, possibly to 8.6% overall.
Urban centers and immigrant communities tend to have a higher share of young residents, contrasting with some rural or less diverse regions where the youth proportion is even lower. Immigrant descendants (second-generation immigrants) represent a dynamic segment with a youth share twice as high as the native population, underlining their demographic importance.
Germany’s aging population and low birth rates contribute to a demographic imbalance, with increasing pressure on labor markets and social welfare systems. The native birth rate remains low, with an average of 1.24 children per man in 2024 and a "fertility gap" impacting population renewal.
Comparatively, Germany’s youth proportion of 10% is considered below the EU average, where many countries have higher shares of young people. The low youth population contrasts with other EU states with higher fertility rates or younger immigrant populations. Immigration broadly helps Germany mitigate population aging more than in some other EU countries with less immigration, but overall youth shares remain comparatively low.
Across Germany's federal states, the share of young people varies. Bremen has the highest share at 11.1 percent, followed by Hamburg and Baden-Württemberg at 10.5 percent each. The lowest shares of young people are in Brandenburg at 8.7 percent, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony at 8.9 percent each.
Among those with an immigration background in Germany, 12 percent were between 15 and 24 years old. This share is higher than among the population as a whole, but the article does not provide new information about the proportion of young people in Germany's total population, without immigration, or among those with an immigration background.
It's important to note that the article does not mention any connection between the shares of young people and Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, immigration, or the status of immigrants and their descendants. Also, the article does not provide new information about the share of young people among the descendants of immigrants, those with only one immigrant parent, or immigrants themselves.
References: [1] Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). (n.d.). Youth rate. Retrieved from https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Population/Population-structure/Youth-rate.html [2] European Union, Eurostat. (n.d.). Population by age group. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/germany/data/database [3] Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. (n.d.). Demographic development. Retrieved from https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/themen/demographie/demografische-entwicklung.html [4] Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. (n.d.). Immigration and integration. Retrieved from https://www.bmi.bund.de/EN/Topics/immigration-and-integration/immigration-and-integration-node.html [5] Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). (n.d.). Fertility rate. Retrieved from https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Population/Population-structure/Fertility-rate.html
- The high proportion of young people among descendants of immigrants in Germany suggests that they are a demographically significant group, potentially playing a key role in addressing the country's shrinking youth population, which is a key concern in the context of aging population and low birth rates.
- The political debate on employment policy in Germany should consider the impact of immigration, especially when addressing the challenge of maintaining a balanced and sustainable workforce, as immigrants and their descendants have a disproportionately higher youth share compared to the native population, potentially filling employment gaps in urban centers and other areas with lower youth populations.
