German Population Growth Between 1997 and 2025

Key Takeaways

• In 1970, Germany had 2.7 million immigrants, making up 4.5% of the total population (61 million). By 2023, this number tripled to 12.1 million, or approximately 14.5% of Germany’s population (83.4 million).
• German citizens constituted 95.5% of the population in 1970. However, their share had fallen to 85.5% by 2023, indicating a shift brought by demographic issues (e.g., low birth rate, aging population, emigration, etc.) and the increase of immigrants in Germany.
• Germany welcomed 1.2 million immigrants in 2015. This is due to the civil war in Syria. Another 1 million refugees from Ukraine during the Ukraine-Russia war.

Table of Contents

Germany’s population growth between 1970 and 2025

Year	Total Population	Percentage change	Germans		Immigrants
			Total	Percentage of total population	Total	Percentage of total population
1970	61,001,164	–	58,263,259	95.5%	2,737,905	4.5%
1980	61,321,663	0.53%	57,091,778	93.1%	4,566,167	6.9%
1990	79,753,227	30.06%	74,170,870	93.0%	5,582,357	7.0%
2000	82,259,540	3.14%	74,991,972	91.2%	7,267,568	8.8%
2010	81,751,602	-0.62%	74,552,656	91.2%	7,198,946	8.8%
2015	82,175,684	0.52%	73,523,726	89.5%	8,651,958	10.5%
2020	83,155,031	1.19%	72,569,978	87.3%	10,585,053	12.7%
2021	83,237,124	0.10%	72,344,071	86.9%	10,893,053	13.1%
2022	83,118,501	-0.14%	71,623,366	86.2%	11,495,135	13.8%
2023	83,456,045	0.41%	71,347,057	85.5%	12,108,988	14.5%
2024	84,673,158	1.45%
Jan 2025	84,075,075	-0.71%

In 1970, Germany’s total population was approximately 61,001,164. This population is comprised of 58,263,259 (95.5%) German citizens and 2,737,905 (4.5%) immigrants.

The overall German population has increased since 1970 with a few years where it saw slight decline. The biggest surge occurred between 1989 and 1990, with a nearly 30% increase in population. This is because of the reunification of the East and West Germany.

Between 2000 and 2010, the total population experienced a small decrease of 0.62%, potentially due to low birth rates, emigration (Germans moving to other countries, especially, Austria, Switzerland, and the US).

Since 2010, the population has generally increased, which is influenced significantly by the increase in immigration. In 2023, Germany had a total population of 83,456,045, with a notable shift in its composition:

• The percentage of German citizens has decreased to 85.5% of the total population.
• The percentage of the immigrant population has risen to 14.5% of the total population.

Immigration has played a vital role in the overall increase in the German population. Without an increase in immigrants, the German population would have declined.

By January 2025, Germany’s total population had grown to 84,075,075, an increase of approximately 37.8% since 1970.

The decline in the percentage of German citizens

Year	Total Population	Percentage change	German Citizens
			Total	Percentage change	Percentage of total population
1970	61,001,164	–	58,263,259		95.5%
1980	61,321,663	0.53%	57,091,778	-2%	93.1%
1990	79,753,227	30.06%	74,170,870	29.9%	93.0%
2000	82,259,540	3.14%	74,991,972	1.1%	91.2%
2010	81,751,602	-0.62%	74,552,656	-0.59%	91.2%
2015	82,175,684	0.52%	73,523,726	-1.38%	89.5%
2020	83,155,031	1.19%	72,569,978	-1.3%	87.3%
2021	83,237,124	0.10%	72,344,071	-0.31%	86.9%
2022	83,118,501	-0.14%	71,623,366	-1%	86.2%
2023	83,456,045	0.41%	71,347,057	-0.39%	85.5%
2024	84,673,158	1.45%
Jan 2025	84,075,075	-0.71%

In 1970, 95.5% of Germany’s total population were German citizens. Only 4.5% had foreign citizenship. 

Since 1970, the percentage of German citizens has decreased consistently. It first fell below 90% around 2015, when immigrants surged to 10.5% of the total population amidst the refugee crisis.

As of 2023, 85.5% of Germany’s total population is represented by German citizens.

However, the number of German citizens increased from 5.8 million in 1970 to 7.1 million in 2023. The number reached a peak of 7.49 million in 2000, but it has gradually declined over the years.

The main factors contributing to the decline of the population of the German citizens are

• Low birth rates: It’s 8.2 children per 1000 inhabitants. In other words, 1.38 children per woman (as of 2023). [1] 
• Higher death rates: 12.1 deaths per 1000 inhabitants (as of 2023).
• Emigration: More and more Germans are moving to other countries, specifically to Switzerland, Austria, and the US, which has also contributed to the decrease in the German population.

Increase in the number of immigrants in Germany

Year	Total Population	Percentage change	Immigrants
			Total	Percentage change	Percentage of total population
1970	61,001,164	–	2,737,905		4.5%
1980	61,321,663	0.53%	4,566,167	66.76%	6.9%
1990	79,753,227	30.06%	5,582,357	22.25%	7.0%
2000	82,259,540	3.14%	7,267,568	30.19%	8.8%
2010	81,751,602	-0.62%	7,198,946	-0.94%	8.8%
2015	82,175,684	0.52%	8,651,958	20.18%	10.5%
2020	83,155,031	1.19%	10,585,053	22.34%	12.7%
2021	83,237,124	0.10%	10,893,053	2.91%	13.1%
2022	83,118,501	-0.14%	11,495,135	5.53%	13.8%
2023	83,456,045	0.41%	12,108,988	5.34%	14.5%
2024	84,673,158	1.45%
Jan 2025	84,075,075	-0.71%

In 1970, 2.7 million immigrants lived in Germany. This made up only a small fraction (4.5%) of the country’s total population (61 million). 

Over the decades, the percentage of immigrants in Germany has steadily increased from 4.5% in 1970 to 14.5% in 2023.

The main factors contributing to the increase in number of immigrants in Germany are:

• The strong German economy in the past decades attracted a lot of talent from all over the world.
• The shortage of skilled labor pushed German companies to hire people from abroad. 
• Immigration-friendly government policies made it easier for foreigners to come to Germany and settle here.
• Welcoming refugees. Germany welcomed around a million Syrian refugees in 2015 and another million refugees from Ukraine between 2021 and 2022.

The immigrant population has tripled since 1970, reaching 12.1 million in 2023, or 14.5% of the total German population.

How did the refugee crisis affect the immigrant population in Germany?

In 2015, Germany experienced a massive influx of asylum seekers. This led to the immigrant population rising from 7.5 million in 2014 to 8.7 million in 2015, an increase of nearly 1.2 million people in just one year.

Syria emerged as the country with the largest number of immigrants to Germany in 2015. This was mainly due to the ongoing Syrian civil war at that time. A significant number of arrivals also came from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.

Germany recorded 2.14 million immigrants entering the country in 2015, a 46% increase compared to the previous year. At the same time, around one million people moved out of Germany (emigrants), resulting in a net increase of the German population by 1.14 million in 2015.

References

• https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/Forschung/Migrationsberichte/migrationsbericht-2015.html?nn=403964
• https://www-genesis.destatis.de/datenbank/online/statistic/12411/table/12411-0002
• https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Current-Population/Tables/liste-current-population.html#1346664 
• https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Births/Tables/birth-rate.html
• https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-