Germany’s population declines for the first time in several years

For the first time in years, Germany's population has recorded a decline. At the end of 2025, the country's population stood at 83.5 million people, down 0.1% compared to 2024.

The figures come from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office of Germany and were reported by Der Spiegel.

Germany’s population had grown steadily since 2011, with the only exception being the pandemic year of 2020. As a result, the latest figures mark the first population decline in five years.

The main reason for the decrease is that net migration—the difference between the number of people entering and leaving the country—is no longer sufficient to offset the birth deficit.

In 2025, Germany recorded 352,000 more deaths than births.

At the same time, net migration fell significantly. While it had previously stood at a surplus of 430,000 people, it dropped to 235,000 in 2025.

The demographic decline was uneven across the country. Germany’s eastern federal states experienced a much sharper population decrease of 0.5%, compared to western regions.

Only three city-states recorded population growth. Berlin and Hamburg each grew by 0.4%, while Bremen posted an increase of 0.3%.

The only age group that expanded in size was people aged 60 to 79, whose numbers rose by 2.8%. In contrast, the population aged 80 and above declined by 2.5%.