Demographics of Germany - wikipedia Demographics of Germany Demographics of Germany Population from 1800 to 2000. The figures of the FRG and the GDR are combined. Population 82,665,600 ( 30 June 2017 ) Growth rate 0.4 ( 2016 ) Birth rate 9.6 births / 1,000 population ( 2016 ) Death rate 11.0 deaths / 1,000 population ( 2016 ) Life expectancy 81 years ( 2015 ) male 79 years female 83 years Fertility rate 1.59 children born / woman ( 2016 ) Infant mortality rate 3.46 deaths / 1,000 live births ( 2014 ) Net migration rate 1.06 migrant ( s ) / 1,000 population ( 2014 ) Sex ratio Total 0.97 male ( s ) / female ( 2015 ) At birth 1.06 male ( s ) / female Under 15 1.05 male ( s ) / female 15 -- 64 years 1.02 male ( s ) / female 65 and over 0.76 male ( s ) / female Nationality Nationality noun : German ( s ) adjective : German Major ethnic Germans Language Spoken German, others Historical population Year Pop. ± % 1950 69,346,000 -- 1960 73,147,000 + 5.5 % 1970 78,069,000 + 6.7 % 1980 78,397,000 + 0.4 % 1990 79,753,000 + 1.7 % 2000 82,260,000 + 3.1 % 2011 80,233,100 − 2.5 % 2017 82,740,900 + 3.1 % Source : DESTATIS The demography of Germany is monitored by the Statistisches Bundesamt ( Federal Statistical Office of Germany ). According to the first census since reunification, Germany 's population was 82,790,700 ( 31 September 2017 ), making it the sixteenth-most populous country in the world and the most populous in the European Union. The total fertility rate was rated at 1.59 in 2016 ( the highest value since 1972 ) and in 2011, was even estimated at 1.6 after accounting for the fact that older women contribute more to the number of births than in previous statistic models, and total fertility rates increased in younger generations. In 2008, fertility was related to educational achievement ( women with lower levels of education were having more children than women who had completed higher education ). In 2011, this was no longer true for Eastern Germany where higher educated women now had a somewhat higher fertility rate compared to the rest of the population. Persons who said they had no religion tend to have fewer children than those who identify as Christians, and studies also found that amongst Christians ; the more conservative ones had more children compared to the more liberal ones. In vitro fertilisation ( IVF ) is legal in Germany, with an age limit set at forty years. As of 2006, 55.7 % of Germans age 18 and over were married. According to the 2008 - 2010 German Community Survey 3 - Year Estimates, 51.5 % of males and 47.7 % of females over the age of 15 were married. The separation rate was 6 per 10 marriages. The United Nations Population Fund lists Germany as host to the second - highest number of international migrants worldwide, behind the United States. More than 16,000,000 people are descended from immigrants ( first and second generation, including mixed heritage and ethnic German repatriates and their descendants ). 96.1 % of those reside in western Germany and Berlin. About 7,000,000 of them are foreign residents, which is defined as those not having German citizenship. The largest ethnic group of non-German origin are the Turkish. Since the 1960s, West and later reunified Germany has been attracting immigrants primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe as well as Turkey, many of whom ( or their children ) acquired German citizenship over time. While most of these immigrants initially arrived as guest workers, Germany has also been a prime destination for refugees who have applied for asylum in Germany, in part because the German constitution long had a clause guaranteeing political asylum as a human right, but restrictions over the years have since limited the scope. Germany has one of the world 's highest levels of education, technological development, and economic productivity. Since the end of World War II, the number of students entering university has more than tripled, and the trade and technical schools are among the world 's best. With a per capita PPP income of about $41,370 in 2012, Germany is a broadly middle - class society. However, there has been a strong increase in the number of children living in poverty. Whereas in 1965, one in 75 children was on the welfare rolls. By 2007, one child in 6 was on the welfare rolls, although these children live in relative poverty, but not necessarily in absolute poverty. Germans are typically very well - travelled people, with millions travelling overseas each year. The social welfare system provides for universal health care, unemployment compensation, child benefits and other social programmes. Due to Germany 's ageing population and struggling economy, the welfare system came under a lot of strain in the 1990s. This led the government to adopt a wide - ranging programme of belt - tightening reforms, Agenda 2010, including the labour market reforms known as Hartz I - IV. Contents 1 History 1.1 Total Fertility Rate from 1800 to 1899 1.2 Life expectancy from 1875 to 2015 1.3 Statistics since 1900 1.4 Current vital statistics 1.5 1945 -- 1990 1.6 1990 -- today 2 Demographic statistics 3 Ethnic minorities and migrant background ( Migrationshintergrund ) 4 Foreign nationals in Germany 5 Genetics of the German native people 6 Geography 6.1 States 6.2 Cities 6.3 Metropolitan regions 7 Immigration 8 Education 8.1 Literacy 9 Health 10 Religion 10.1 2011 Census 11 Languages 11.1 Minority languages 11.2 High German dialects 11.3 Low Saxon dialects 11.4 Foreign languages 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 External links History Main article : Census in Germany The contemporary demographics of Germany are also measured by a series of full censuses, with the most recent held in 1987. Since reunification, German authorities rely on a micro census. Total fertility rate from 1800 to 1899 The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources : Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation. Years 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 5.4 5.4 5.39 5.39 5.38 5.38 5.37 5.37 5.36 5.36 5.35 Years 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 5.35 5.34 5.34 5.33 5.33 5.32 5.32 5.33 5.35 5.37 Years 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 5.35 5.33 5.31 5.28 5.26 5.17 5.07 4.97 4.88 4.78 Years 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 4.8 4.83 4.85 4.88 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 Years 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 4.9 4.95 4.97 5 5.02 5.02 5.02 5.01 5.01 5.01 Years 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 4.9 4.95 4.97 5 5.02 5.02 5.02 5.01 5.01 5.01 Years 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 4.87 4.74 4.6 4.47 4.33 4.45 4.56 4.67 4.79 4.9 Years 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 4.93 4.96 5 5.03 5.06 5.09 5.11 5.13 5.16 5.18 Swabian large nuclear family in 1910 Years 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 5.24 5.3 5.35 5.41 5.46 5.38 5.3 5.22 5.14 5.06 Years 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 Total Fertility Rate in Germany 5.14 5.21 5.29 5.28 5.26 5.25 5.23 5.22 5.21 5.2 Life expectancy from 1875 to 2015 Sources : Our World In Data and the United Nations. 1875 - 1950 Years 1875 1885 1895 1905 1911 1915 1925 1935 1946 Life expectancy in Germany 38.5 39.5 42.8 45.5 49.0 40.5 57.4 61.5 60.5 1950 - 2015 Period Life expectancy in Years Period Life expectancy in Years 1950 -- 1955 67.5 1985 -- 1990 75.0 1955 -- 1960 68.9 1990 -- 1995 76.0 1960 -- 1965 70.0 1995 -- 2000 77.3 1965 -- 1970 70.7 2000 -- 2005 78.6 1970 -- 1975 71.2 2005 -- 2010 79.7 1975 -- 1980 72.3 2010 -- 2015 80.5 1980 -- 1985 73.7 Source : UN World Population Prospects Statistics since 1900 Population statistics since 1900. Territorial changes of Germany occurred in 1918 / 1919, 1921 / 1922, 1945 / 1946 and in 1990. Average population Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate ( per 1000 ) Crude death rate ( per 1000 ) Natural change ( per 1000 ) Total Fertility Rates Fertility rates FRG Fertility rates GDR 1900 54 326 000 1 944 139 1 199 382 744 757 35.8 22.1 13.7 4.93 1901 55 144 000 1 980 313 1 140 489 839 824 35.9 20.7 15.2 4.88 1902 56 017 000 1 971 735 1 088 492 883 243 35.2 19.4 15.8 4.82 1903 56 869 000 1 931 078 1 135 905 795 173 34.0 20.0 14.0 4.77 1904 57 695 000 1 972 847 1 128 183 844 664 34.2 19.6 14.6 4.68 1905 58 514 000 1 935 153 1 158 314 776 839 33.1 19.8 13.3 4.60 1906 59 343 000 1 970 477 1 078 202 892 275 33.2 18.2 15.0 4.51 1907 60 183 000 1 948 933 1 084 309 864 624 32.4 18.0 14.4 4.43 1908 61 023 000 1 964 052 1 100 490 863 562 32.2 18.0 14.2 4.34 1909 61 857 000 1 929 278 1 062 217 867 061 31.2 17.2 14.9 4.18 1910 62 698 000 1 876 778 1 016 665 860 113 29.9 16.2 13.7 4.01 1911 63 469 000 1 824 729 1 097 784 726 945 28.7 17.3 11.5 3.85 1912 64 236 000 1 823 636 1 000 749 822 887 28.4 15.6 12.8 3.68 1913 65 058 000 1 794 750 975 950 818 800 27.6 15.0 12.6 3.52 1914 65 860 000 1 775 596 1 246 310 529 286 27.0 18.9 8.0 3.27 1915 65 953 000 1 353 546 1 410 420 - 56 874 20.5 21.4 - 0.9 3.02 1916 65 795 000 1 005 484 1 258 054 - 252 570 15.3 19.1 - 3.8 2.76 1917 65 450 000 912 109 1 345 424 - 433 315 13.9 20.6 - 6.6 2.51 1918 64 800 000 926 813 1 606 475 - 679 662 14.3 24.8 - 10.5 2.26 1919 62 897 000 1 260 500 978 380 282 120 20.0 15.6 4.5 2.33 1920 61 794 000 1 599 287 932 929 666 358 25.9 15.1 10.8 2.40 1921 62 473 000 1 581 130 869 555 711 575 25.3 13.9 11.4 2.48 1922 61 890 000 1 424 804 890 181 534 623 23.0 14.4 8.6 2.55 1923 62 250 000 1 318 489 866 754 451 735 21.2 13.9 7.2 2.62 1924 62 740 000 1 290 763 766 957 523 806 20.6 12.2 8.4 2.42 1925 63 110 000 1 311 259 753 017 558 242 20.8 11.9 8.8 2.21 1926 63 510 000 1 245 471 742 955 502 516 19.6 11.7 7.9 2.10 1927 63 940 000 1 178 892 765 331 413 561 18.4 12.0 6.5 1.98 1928 64 470 000 1 199 998 747 444 452 554 18.6 11.6 7.0 1.99 1929 64 670 000 1 164 062 814 545 349 517 18.0 12.6 5.4 1.93 1930 65 130 000 1 144 151 718 807 425 344 17.6 11.0 6.5 1.88 1931 65 510 000 1 047 775 734 165 313 610 16.0 11.2 4.8 1.71 1932 65 716 000 993 126 707 642 285 484 15.1 10.8 4.3 1.62 1933 66 027 000 971 174 737 877 233 297 14.7 11.2 3.5 1.58 1934 66 409 000 1 198 350 725 000 473 000 18.0 10.9 7.1 1.93 1935 66 871 000 1 263 976 792 018 471 958 18.9 11.8 7.1 2.03 1936 67 349 000 1 278 583 795 793 482 790 19.0 11.8 7.2 2.07 1937 67 831 000 1 277 046 794 367 482 679 18.8 11.7 7.1 2.09 1938 68 424 000 1 348 534 799 220 549 314 19.7 11.7 8.0 2.25 1939 69 314 000 1 413 230 854 348 558 882 20.4 12.3 8.1 2.39 1940 69 838 000 1 402 258 885 591 516 667 20.1 12.7 7.4 2.40 1941 70 244 000 1 308 232 844 435 463 797 18.6 12.0 6.6 2.25 1942 70 834 000 1 055 915 847 861 208 054 14.9 12.0 2.9 1.83 1943 70 411 000 1 124 718 853 246 271 472 16.0 12.1 3.9 2.00 1944 69 000 000 1 215 000 915 000 300 000 17.6 13.3 4.3 1.89 1945 66 000 000 1 060 000 1 210 000 - 150 000 16.1 18.3 - 2.3 1.53 1946 64 260 000 921 998 1 001 331 - 79 333 14.3 15.6 - 1.2 1.65 1947 65 842 000 1 028 421 932 628 95 793 15.6 14.2 1.5 1.92 2.01 1.75 1948 67 365 000 1 049 074 804 839 244 235 15.6 11.9 3.6 1.96 2.07 1.76 1949 68 080 000 1 106 803 770 852 335 951 16.3 11.3 4.9 2.11 2.14 2.03 1950 68 374 000 1 116 835 748 329 368 506 16.3 10.9 5.4 2.14 2.10 2.35 1951 68 882 000 1 106 608 752 697 353 911 16.1 10.9 5.1 2, 16 2.06 2.46 1952 69 171 000 1 105 080 767 637 337 443 16.0 11.1 4.9 2.16 2.08 2.42 1953 69 564 000 1 095 096 790 654 304 442 15.7 11.4 4.4 2.15 2.07 2.40 1954 69 934 000 1 110 028 775 291 334 737 15.9 11.1 4.8 2.18 2.12 2.38 1955 70 307 000 1 113 128 795 938 317 190 15.8 11.3 4.5 2.18 2.11 2.38 1956 70 711 000 1 137 169 812 111 325 058 16.1 11.5 4.6 2.22 2.19 2.30 1957 71 166 000 1 165 555 840 195 325 360 16.4 11.8 4.6 2.28 2.28 2.24 1958 71 637 000 1 175 870 818 418 357 452 16.4 11.4 5.0 2.29 2.29 2.22 1959 72 180 000 1 243 922 835 402 408 520 17.2 11.6 5.7 2.36 2.34 2.37 1960 72 664 000 1 261 614 876 721 384 893 17.4 12.1 5.3 2.37 2.37 2.35 1961 73 352 000 1 313 505 850 300 463 205 17.9 11.6 6.3 2.45 2.47 2.42 1962 74 049 000 1 316 534 878 814 437 720 17.8 11.9 5.9 2.44 2.45 2.42 1963 75 019 000 1 355 595 895 070 460 525 18.1 11.9 6.1 2.51 2.52 2.47 1964 75 273 000 1 357 304 870 319 486 985 18.0 11.6 6.5 2.54 2.55 2.48 1965 76 061 000 1 325 386 907 882 417 504 17.4 11.9 5.5 2.50 2.51 2.48 1966 76 734 000 1 318 303 911 984 406 319 17.2 11.9 5.3 2.51 2.54 2.43 1967 76 954 000 1 272 276 914 417 357 859 16.5 11.9 4.7 2.48 2.54 2.34 1968 77 249 000 1 214 968 976 521 238 447 15.7 12.6 3.1 2.38 2.39 2.30 1969 77 918 000 1 142 368 988 092 154 276 14.7 12.7 2.0 2.21 2.20 2.24 1970 77 772 000 1 047 737 975 664 72 073 13.5 12.5 0.9 2.03 1.99 2.19 1971 78 355 000 1 013 396 965 623 47 773 12.9 12.3 0.6 1.96 1.92 2.13 1972 78 717 000 901 657 965 689 - 64 032 11.5 12.3 - 0.8 1.73 1.72 1.79 1973 78 951 000 815 969 963 034 - 147 065 10.3 12.2 - 1.9 1.56 1.54 1.58 78 966 000 805 500 956 573 - 151 073 10.2 12.1 - 1.9 1.53 1.51 1.54 78 862 000 782 310 989 649 - 207 339 9.9 12.5 - 2.6 1.48 1.45 1.54 1976 78 299 000 798 334 966 873 - 168 539 10.2 12.3 - 2.2 1.51 1.46 1.64 1977 78 161 000 805 496 931 155 - 125 659 10.3 11.9 - 1.6 1.51 1.40 1.85 1978 78 066 000 808 619 955 550 - 146 931 10.4 12.2 - 1.9 1.50 1.38 1.90 1979 78 082 000 817 217 944 474 - 127 257 10.5 12.1 - 1.6 1.50 1.39 1.90 1980 78 295 000 865 789 952 371 - 86 582 11.1 12.2 - 1.1 1.56 1.44 1.94 1981 78 399 000 862 100 954 436 - 92 336 11.0 12.2 - 1.2 1.53 1.43 1.85 1982 78 293 000 861 275 943 832 - 82 557 11.0 12.1 - 1.1 1.51 1.41 1.86 78 082 000 827 933 941 032 - 113 099 10.6 12.1 - 1.4 1.43 1.33 1.79 1984 77 797 000 812 292 917 299 - 105 007 10.4 11.8 - 1.3 1.39 1.29 1.74 1985 77 619 000 813 803 929 649 - 115 846 10.5 12.0 - 1.5 1.37 1.28 1.73 1986 77 635 000 848 231 925 411 - 77 180 10.9 11.9 - 1.0 1.41 1.34 1.70 77 718 000 867 969 901 291 - 33 322 11.2 11.6 - 0.4 1.43 1.37 1.74 78 116 000 892 993 900 627 - 7 634 11.4 11.5 - 0.1 1.46 1.41 1.67 78 677 000 880 459 903 441 - 22 103 11.2 11.5 - 0.3 1.42 1.39 1.56 1990 79 365 000 905 675 914 361 - 8 686 11.4 11.5 - 0.1 1.454 1.450 1.518 1991 79 984 000 830 019 911 245 - 81 226 10.4 11.4 - 1.0 1.332 1.422 0.977 80 570 000 809 114 885 443 - 76 329 10.0 11.0 - 0.9 1.292 1.402 0.830 81 187 000 798 447 897 270 - 98 823 9.8 11.1 - 1.2 1.278 1.393 0.775 81 422 000 769 603 884 659 - 115 056 9.5 10.9 - 1.4 1.243 1.347 0.772 1995 81 661 000 765 221 884 588 - 119 367 9.4 10.8 - 1.5 1.249 1.339 0.838 81 896 000 796 013 882 843 - 86 830 9.7 10.8 - 1.1 1.316 1.396 0.948 82 061 000 812 173 860 389 - 48 216 9.9 10.5 - 0.6 1.369 1.441 1.039 1998 82 024 000 785 034 852 382 - 67 348 9.6 10.4 - 0.8 1.355 1.413 1.087 1999 82 101 000 770 744 846 330 - 75 586 9.4 10.3 - 0.9 1.361 1.406 1.148 2000 82 213 000 766 999 838 797 - 71 798 9.3 10.2 - 0.9 1.378 1.413 1.214 82 350 000 734 475 828 541 - 94 066 8.9 10.1 - 1.1 1.349 1.382 1.231 2002 82 489 000 719 250 841 673 - 122 423 8.7 10.2 - 1.5 1.341 1.371 1.238 2003 82 541 000 706 721 853 946 - 147 225 8.6 10.3 - 1.8 1.340 1.364 1.264 82 517 000 705 622 818 271 - 112 649 8.6 9.9 - 1.4 1.355 1.372 1.307 2005 82 470 000 685 795 830 227 - 144 432 8.3 10.1 - 1.8 1.340 1.355 1.295 2006 82 377 000 672 724 821 627 - 148 903 8.2 10.0 - 1.8 1.331 1.341 1.303 2007 82 267 000 684 862 827 155 - 142 293 8.3 10.1 - 1.7 1.370 1.375 1.366 2008 82 110 000 682 514 844 439 - 161 925 8.3 10.3 - 2.1 1.376 1.374 1.404 2009 81 901 000 665 126 854 544 - 189 418 8.1 10.4 - 2.3 1.358 1.353 1.404 81 751 000 677 947 858 768 - 180 821 8.3 10.5 - 2.2 1.393 1.385 1.459 2011 80 233 100 662 685 852 328 - 189 643 8.2 10.6 - 2.4 1.390 1.38 1.46 2012 80 399 000 673 544 869 582 - 196 038 8.4 10.8 - 2.4 1.406 1.40 1.48 2013 80 767 000 682 069 893 825 - 211 756 8.5 11.1 - 2.6 1.419 1.41 1.49 2014 81 198 000 714 966 868 373 - 153 407 8.8 10.7 - 1.9 1.47 1.47 1.54 2015 82 175 700 737 575 925 200 - 187 625 9.0 11.3 - 2.2 1.50 1.50 1.56 2016 82 521 700 792 131 910 902 - 118 771 9.6 11.0 - 1.4 1.59 1.60 1.64 2017 82 740 900 784 884 932 263 - 147 379 9.5 11.3 - 1.8 Current vital statistics Births for January -- May 2017 = 315,285 Births for January -- May 2018 = 312,719 Deaths for January -- May 2017 = 418,503 Deaths for January -- May 2018 = 430,014 Population growth for January -- May 2017 = - 103,218 Population growth for January -- May 2018 = - 117,295 1945 -- 1990 Population of Germany by age and sex ( demographic pyramid ) in 1950 Medical students and their triplets in the GDR in 1984 ; the GDR encouraged birth among college students Population evolution of Germany, since 1950. After the World War II border shifts and expulsions, the Germans from Central and Eastern Europe and the former eastern territories moved westward to post-war Germany. During the partition of Germany, many Germans from East Germany fled to West Germany for political and also economic reasons. Since Germany 's reunification, there are ongoing migrations from the eastern New Länder to the western Old Länder for economic reasons. The federal republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic followed different paths when it came to demographics. The politics of the German Democratic Republic was pronatalistic while that of the Federal Republic was compensatory. Fertility in the GDR was higher than that in the FRG. Demographic politics was only one of the reasons. Women in the GDR had fewer `` biographic options '', young motherhood was expected of them. State funded costfree childcare was available to all mothers. Mother 's mean age at first birth in East and West Germany Note : Berlin is included into East Germany for the year 2002 and 2008. Source : Kreyenfeld ( 2002 ) ; Kreyenfeld et al. ( 2010 ) ; HFD Germany ( 2010 ) Year 1960 1970 1980 1985 2002 2008 West Germany 24.9 23.8 25.0 26.2 27.6 28.7 East Germany 23.0 22.5 22.3 22.3 26.4 27.5 1990 -- today Main article : New states of Germany About 1.7 million people have left the new federal states since the fall of the Berlin Wall, or 12 % of the population, a disproportionately high number of them were women under 35. After 1990, the total fertility rate ( TFR ) in the East dropped to 0.772 in 1994. This has been attributed to the fact that there was a `` demographic shock '' ( people not only had fewer children, they also were less likely to marry or divorce after the end of the GDR ) the biographic options of the citizens of the former GDR had increased. Young motherhood seemed to be less attractive and the age of the first birth rose sharply. In the following years, the TFR in the East Germany started rising again, surpassing 1.0 in 1997 and 1.3 in 2004, reaching the West 's TFR in 2007 ( 1.37 ). In 2010, the East 's fertility rate ( 1.459 ) clearly exceeded that of the West ( 1.385 ), while Germany 's overall TFR has risen to 1.393, the highest value since 1990 - which was still far below the natural replacement rate of 2.1 and the birth rates seen under communism. In 2016, the TFR of East Germany was 1.64, while TFR in the West -- 1.60. Between 1989 and 2009, about 2,000 schools closed because of a scarcity of children. In some regions the number of women between the ages of 20 and 30 has dropped by more than 30 %. In 2004, in the age group 18 - 29 ( statistically important for starting families ) there were only 90 women for every 100 men in the new federal states ( including Berlin ). Until 2007 family politics in the federal republic was compensatory, which means that poor families received more family benefits ( such as the Erziehungsgeld ) than rich ones. In 2007 the so - called `` Elterngeld '' was introduced. According to Christoph Butterwegge the Elterngeld was meant to `` motivate highly educated women to have more children '', the poor on the other hand were disadvantaged by the Elterngeld, receiving now fewer child benefits than the middle classes. The very well - off ( who earn more than 250.000 Euro per annum ) and those on welfare receive no Elterngeld payments. In 2013 the following most recent developments were noticed : The income of families having young children has risen. Persons holding a college degree, persons older than 30 years and parents with only one child benefited the most. Single parents and young parents did not benefit Fathers are becoming more involved in parenting, and 28 % of them now take some time off their jobs ( 3.3 months on average ) when their children are born. Mothers are more likely to work and as a result less likely to be economically deprived than they used to. The birth rate of college educated women has risen. In the new federal states the birth rate of college educated women is now higher than that of those without college degrees. Differences in value priorities and the better availability of childcare in the eastern states are discussed as a possible reason. Demographic statistics Map of population density in Germany in 2006. Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review. One birth every 43 seconds One death every 34 seconds Net gain of one person every 3 minutes One net migrant every 1 minutes Demographic statistics according to the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated. Population 80,594,017 ( July 2017 est. ) 82,175,700 ( 2015 estimate ) Germany 's population pyramid in 2016 Age structure 0 -- 14 years : 12.8 % ( male 5,304,341 / female 5,028,776 ) 15 -- 24 years : 10.1 % ( male 4,145,486 / female 3,986,302 ) 25 - 54 years : 40.5 % ( male 16,467,975 / female 16,133,964 ) 55 - 64 years : 14.6 % ( male 5,834,179 / female 5,913,322 ) 65 years and over : 22.06 % ( male 7,822,221 / female 9,957,451 ) ( 2017 est. ) 0 -- 14 years : 13.9 % ( male 5,894,724 ; female 5,590,373 ) 15 -- 64 years : 66.1 % ( male 27,811,357 / female 26,790,222 ) 65 years and over : 19.6 % ( male 6,771,972 / female 9,542,348 ) ( 2015 est. ) 0 -- 14 years : 13.7 % ( male 5,768,366 / female 5,470,516 ) 15 -- 64 years : 66.1 % ( male 27,707,761 / female 26,676,759 ) 65 years and over : 20.3 % ( male 7,004,805 / female 9,701,551 ) ( 2010 est. ) Median age total : 47.1 years. Country comparison to the world : 3rd male : 46 years female : 48.2 years ( 2017 est. ) Population growth rate - 0.16 % ( 2017 est. ) Country comparison to the world : 208th Total fertility rate 1.45 children born / woman ( 2017 est. ) Country comparison to the world : 205th 1.43 children born / woman ( 2014 ) 1.42 children born / woman ( 2013 ) 1.38 children born / woman ( 2008 ) Mother 's mean age at first birth 29.4 years ( 2015 est. ) Net migration rate 1.5 migrant ( s ) / 1,000 population ( 2017 est. ) Country comparison to the world : 53th Birth rate 8.6 births / 1,000 population ( 2017 est. ) Country comparison to the world : 213th Death rate 11.7 deaths / 1,000 population ( 2017 est. ) Life expectancy at birth total population : 80.8 years. Country comparison to the world : 34th male : 78.5 years female : 83.3 years ( 2017 est. ) Infant mortality rate total : 3.4 deaths / 1,000 live births. Country comparison to the world : 205th male : 3.7 deaths / 1,000 live births female : 3.1 deaths / 1,000 live births ( 2017 est. ) 4.09 deaths per 1,000 live births ( 2007 ) total : 3.99 deaths / 1,000 live births ( 2010 ) total population : 81 years ( 2015 ) 80 years ( 2013 ) Sex ratio at birth : 1.06 male ( s ) / female under 15 years : 1.05 male ( s ) / female 15 -- 64 years : 1.04 male ( s ) / female 65 years and over : 0.72 male ( s ) / female total population : 0.97 male ( s ) / female ( 2010 est. ) Dependency ratios total dependency ratio : 52.1 youth dependency ratio : 19.9 elderly dependency ratio : 32.1 potential support ratio : 3.1 ( 2015 est. ) School life expectancy ( primary to tertiary education ) total : 17 years male : 17 years female : 17 years ( 2015 ) Unemployment, youth ages 15 - 24 total : 7.2 % male : 7.9 % female : 6.5 % ( 2015 est. ) Country comparison to the world : 139th While most childbirths in Germany happen within marriage, a growing number of children are born out - of - wedlock. In 2010 the out - of - wedlock - rate was 33 %, more than twice of what it was in 1990. The Mikrozensus done in 2008 revealed that the number of children a German woman aged 40 to 75 had, was closely linked to her educational achievement. In Western Germany the most educated women were the most likely to be childless. 26 % of those groups stated they were childless, while 16 % of those having an intermediate education, and 11 % of those having compulsory education, stated the same. In Eastern Germany however, 9 % of the most educated women of that age group and 7 % of those who had an intermediary education were childless, while 12 % of those having only compulsory education were childless. The reason for that east - western difference is that the GDR had an `` educated mother scheme '' and actively tried to encourage first births among the more educated. It did so by propagandizing the opinion that every educated woman should `` present at least one child to socialism '' and also by financially rewarding its more educated citizen to become parents. The government especially tried to persuade students to become parents while still in college and it was quite successful in doing so. In 1986 38 % of all women, who were about to graduate from college, were mothers of at least one child and additional 14 % were pregnant and 43 % of all men, who were about to graduate from college, were fathers of at least one child. There was a sharp decline in the birth rate and especially in the birth rate of the educated after the fall of the Berlin wall. Nowadays, 5 % of those about to graduate from college are parents. The more educated a Western German mother aged 40 to 75 was in 2008, the less likely she was to have a big family. Percent of Western German mothers having 1, 2 and 3 or more children by educational attainment number of children compulsory education intermediary education highest education one child 22 30 31 two children 39 48 48 three or more children 39 22 21 The same was true for a mother living in Eastern Germany in 2008. Percent of Eastern German mothers having 1, 2 and 3 and more children by educational attainment number of children compulsory education intermediary education highest education one child 23 33 33 two children 37 46 51 three or more children 40 21 16 A study done in 2005 in the western German state of Nordrhein - Westfalen by the HDZ revealed that childlessness was especially widespread among scientists. It showed that 78 % of the women scientists and 71 % of the male scientists working in that state were childless. Ethnic minorities and migrant background ( Migrationshintergrund ) The Federal Statistical Office defines persons with a migrant background as all persons who migrated to the present area of the Federal Republic of Germany after 1949, plus all foreign nationals born in Germany and all persons born in Germany as German nationals with at least one parent who migrated to Germany or was born in Germany as a foreign national. The figures presented here are based on this definition only. In 2010, 2.3 million families with children under 18 years were living in Germany, in which at least one parent had foreign roots. They represented 29 % of the total of 8.1 million families with minor children. Compared with 2005 -- the year when the microcensus started to collect detailed information on the population with a migrant background -- the proportion of migrant families has risen by 2 percentage points. In 2015, 36 % children under 5 years old had migrant background. ( number includes ethnic German repatriates ) Most of the families with a migrant background live in the western part of Germany. In 2010, the proportion of migrant families in all families was 32 % in the former territory of the Federal Republic. This figure was more than double that in the new Länder ( incl. Berlin ) where it stood at 15 %. Families with a migrant background more often have three or more minor children in the household than families without a migrant background. In 2010, about 15 % of the families with a migrant background contained three or more minor children, as compared with just 9 % of the families without a migrant background. In 2009, 3.0 million of the persons of immigrant background had Turkish roots, 2.9 million had their roots in the successor states of the Soviet Union ( including a large number of Russian - speaking ethnic Germans ), 1.5 million had their roots in the successor states of Yugoslavia and 1.5 million had Polish roots. In 2008, 18.4 % of Germans of any age group and 30 % of German children had at least one parent born abroad. Median age for Germans with at least one parent born abroad was 33.8 years, while that for Germans, who had two parents born in Germany was 44.6 years. Germany is home to the third - highest number of international migrants worldwide after the United States and Saudi Arabia. Population of Germany in 2017 Germans ( 76.4 % ) German repatriates and their descentants ( 3.5 % ) Other Europeans ( excl. Turkey ) ( 9.8 % ) MENA ( incl. Afghanistan and Turkey ) ( 5.5 % ) Other Asians ( 2.7 % ) Americas ( 0.6 % ) Africans ( 0.5 % ) Others / unspecified ( 0.8 % ) As of 2017, the population by background was as follows : Population composition % Population European 89.7 73,357,000 European Union 87.3 71,396,000 German ( excluding ethnic German repatriates ) 76.4 62,482,000 German repatriates 3.5 2,840,000 Polish ( excluding ethnic German repatriates ) 1.8 1,460,000 Italian 1.0 861,000 Romanian ( excluding ethnic German repatriates ) 0.8 636,000 Greek 0.5 438,000 Other EU member states ( primarily Spanish, Croatian, Dutch, Portuguese and Austrians ) 3.3 2,679,000 European Other 2.4 1,961,000 Russian ( excluding ethnic German repatriates ) 1.0 781,000 Others ( primarily former Yugoslavian, excluding Croatia and Slovenia ) 1.4 1,180,000 Middle Eastern / Northern African 5.5 4,552,600 Turkish ( including Turkish Kurds ) 3.4 2,774,000 Syrians 0.8 706,000 Others ( primarily Iranian, Afghans and Arabs from other countries ) 1.3 1,072,000 Sub-Saharan African 0.5 463,000 East Asian and South / Southeast Asian 2.7 2,020,000 Peoples from Kazakhstan ( excluding ethnic German repatriates. Probably Russians and other Europeans ) 0.8 657,000 Chinese 0.2 180,000 Vietnamese 0.2 168,000 Others ( primarily Indians and Pakistani ) 1.2 1,015,000 Americas 0.5 501,000 Americans 0.2 163,000 Australia / Oceania < 0.1 40,000 Other / unspecified / mixed 0.2 605,000 Total population 100 81,740,000 Simone Hauswald has Migrationshintergrund due to one side of her parents being foreign - born Mesut Özil is classified as having a migrant background because both of his parents were born in Turkey Helene Fischer has a migrant background despite being ethnically German because she was born in the Soviet Union to parents of the German minority in Russia. Four other sizable groups of people are referred to as `` national minorities '' ( nationale Minderheiten ) because they have lived in their respective regions for centuries : Danes, Frisians, Roma and Sinti, and Sorbs. There is a Danish minority ( about 50,000, according to government sources ) in the northern-most state of Schleswig - Holstein. Eastern and Northern Frisians live at Schleswig - Holstein 's western coast, and in the north - western part of Lower Saxony. They are part of a wider community ( Frisia ) stretching from Germany to the northern Netherlands. The Sorbs, a Slavic people with about 60,000 members ( according to government sources ), are in the Lusatia region of Saxony and Brandenburg. They are the last remnants of the Slavs that lived in central and eastern Germany since the 7th century to have kept their traditions and not been completely integrated into the wider German nation. Until World War II the Poles were recognized as one of the national minorities. In 1924 the Union of Poles in Germany had initiated cooperation between all national minorities in Germany under the umbrella organization Association of National Minorities in Germany. Some of the union members wanted the Polish communities in easternmost Germany ( now Poland ) to join the newly established Polish nation after World War I. Even before the German invasion of Poland, leading anti-Nazi members of the Polish minority were deported to concentration camps ; some were executed at the Piaśnica murder site. Minority rights for Poles in Germany were revoked by Hermann Göring 's World War II decree of 27 February 1940, and their property was confiscated. After the war ended, the German government did not re-implement national minority rights for ethnic Poles. The reason for this is that the areas of Germany which formerly had a native Polish minority were annexed to Poland and the Soviet Union, while almost all of the native German populations ( formerly the ethnic majority ) in these areas subsequently fled or were expelled by force. With the mixed German - Polish territories now lost, the German government subsequently regarded ethnic Poles residing in what remained of Germany as immigrants, just like any other ethnic population with a recent history of arrival. In contrast, Germans living in Poland are recognized as national minority and have granted seats in Polish Parliament. It must be said, however, that an overwhelming number of Germans in Poland have centuries - old historical ties to the lands they now inhabit, whether from living in territory that once belonged to the German state, or from centuries - old communities. In contrast, most Poles in present - day Germany are recent immigrants, though there are some communities which have been present since the 19th and perhaps even the 18th centuries. Despite protests by some in the older Polish - German communities, and despite Germany being now a signatory to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Germany has so far refused to re-implement minority rights for ethnic Poles, based on the fact that almost all areas of historically mixed German - Polish heritage ( where the minority rights formerly existed ) are no longer part of Germany and because the vast majority of ethnic Poles now residing in Germany are recent immigrants. Roma people have been in Germany since the Middle Ages. They were persecuted by the Nazis, and thousands of Roma living in Germany were killed by the Nazi regime. Nowadays, they are spread all over Germany, mostly living in major cities. It is difficult to estimate their exact number, as the German government counts them as `` persons without migrant background '' in their statistics. There are also many assimilated Sinti and Roma. A vague figure given by the German Department of the Interior is about 70,000. In the late 1990s, many Roma moved to Germany from Kosovo. In contrast to the old - established Roma population, the majority of them do not have German citizenship, they are classified as immigrants or refugees. A family of so - called `` Spätaussiedler '' ( repatriates of ethnic German origin ), because the parents were born abroad they will be counted as `` persons with immigrant background '' After World War II, 14 million ethnic Germans were expelled from the eastern territories of Germany and homelands outside the former German Empire. The accommodation and integration of these Heimatvertriebene in the remaining part of Germany, in which many cities and millions of apartments had been destroyed, was a major effort in the post-war occupation zones and later states of Germany. Since the 1960s, ethnic Germans from the People 's Republic of Poland and Soviet Union ( especially from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine ), have come to Germany. During the time of Perestroika, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the number of immigrants increased heavily. Some of these immigrants are of mixed ancestry. During the 10 - year period between 1987 and 2001, a total of 1,981,732 ethnic Germans from the FSU immigrated to Germany, along with more than a million of their non-German relatives. After 1997, however ethnic Slavs or those belonging to Slavic - Germanic mixed origins outnumbered these with only Germanic descent amongst the immigrants. The total number of people currently living in Germany having FSU connection is around 4 to 4.5 million ( Including Germans, Slavs, Jews and those of mixed origins ), out of that more than 50 % is of German descent. Germany now has Europe 's third - largest Jewish population. In 2004, twice as many Jews from former Soviet republics settled in Germany as in Israel, bringing the total inflow to more than 100,000 since 1991. Jews have a voice in German public life through the Central Council of Jews in Germany ( Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland ). Some Jews from the former Soviet Union are of mixed heritage. Turkish parade in Berlin In 2000 there were also around 300,000 -- 500,000 Afro - Germans ( those who have German citizenship ) and 150,000 + African nationals. Most of them live in Berlin and Hamburg. Numerous persons from Tunisia and Morocco live in Germany. While they are considered members of a minority group, for the most part, they do not considers themselves `` Afro - Germans, '' nor are most of them perceived as such by the German people. However, Germany does not keep any statistics regarding ethnicity or race. Hence, the exact number of Germans of African descent is unknown. Germany 's biggest East Asian minority are the Vietnamese people in Germany. About 40,000 Vietnamese live in Berlin and surroundings. Also there are about 20,000 to 25,000 Japanese people residing in Germany. Some South Asian and Southeast Asian immigration has taken place. Nearly 50,000 Indians live in Germany. As of 2008, there were 68,000 Filipino residents and an unknown number of Indonesians residing in Germany. Numerous descendants of the so - called Gastarbeiter live in Germany. The Gastarbeiter mostly came from Chile, Greece, southern Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the former Yugoslavia. Also included were Vietnam, Mongolia, North Korea, Angola, Mozambique and Cuba when the former East Germany existed until reunification in 1990. The ( socialist ) German Democratic Republic ( East Germany ) however had their guest - workers stay in single - sex dormitories. Female guest workers had to sign contracts saying that they were not allowed to fall pregnant during their stay. If they fell pregnant nevertheless they faced forced abortion or deportation. This is one of the reasons why the vast majority of ethnic minorities today lives in western Germany and also one of the reasons why minorities such as the Vietnamese have the most unusual population pyramid, with nearly all second - generation Vietnamese Germans born after 1989. Proportion of Germans without a migrant background ( 2016 ) Germany is home to the third - largest number of international migrants worldwide, around 23 % of Germany 's population do not hold a German passport or are descendants of immigrants. Foreign nationals in Germany As of 2016, the numbers of selected groups of resident foreign nationals ( non-naturalized residents ) in Germany were as follows : This list does not include foreigners with German nationality and foreign nationals without resident status. Rank Nationality Population ( 2016 ) % of foreign nationals EU Nationals 4,279,770 42, 6 EU - Candidate Nationals 1,944,195 19, 4 Turkey 1,492,580 14.9 Poland 783,085 7.8 Syria 637,845 6.4 Italy 611,450 6.1 5 Romania 533,660 5.3 6 Greece 348,475 3.5 7 Croatia 332,605 3.3 8 Bulgaria 263,320 2.6 9 Afghanistan 253,485 2.5 10 Russian Federation 245,380 2.4 11 Iraq 227,195 2.3 12 Serbia 223,100 13 Kosovo 202,905 2, 0 14 Hungary 192,340 1.9 15 Austria 183,625 1.8 16 Bosnia and Herzegovina 172,560 1.7 17 Spain 163,560 1.6 18 Netherlands 149,160 1.5 19 Ukraine 136,340 1.4 20 Portugal 136,080 1.4 21 France 130,915 1.3 22 China 129,150 1, 3 23 United States 114,145 1, 1 24 United Kingdom 107,005 1, 1 Other EU Nationals 344,490 3, 4 25 Switzerland 48,880 0, 5 Genetics of the German native people The most common Y chromosome haplogroups among German males are Haplogroup R1b, followed by Haplogroup I1, and Haplogroup R1a. Geography With an estimated more than 81.8 million inhabitants in late 2011, Germany is the most populous country in the European Union and ranks as the 16th largest country in the world in terms of population. Its population density stands at 229.4 inhabitants per square kilometer. States Germany comprises sixteen states that are collectively referred to as Länder. Due to differences in size and population the subdivision of these states varies, especially between city - states ( Stadtstaaten ) and states with larger territories ( Flächenländer ). For regional administrative purposes five states, namely Baden - Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine - Westphalia and Saxony, consist of a total of 22 Government Districts ( Regierungsbezirke ). As of 2009 Germany is divided into 403 districts ( Kreise ) on municipal level, these consist of 301 rural districts and 102 urban districts. Lower Saxony Bremen Hamburg Mecklenburg - Vorpommern Saxony - Anhalt Saxony Brandenburg Berlin Thuringia Hesse North Rhine - Westphalia Rhineland - Palatinate Bavaria Baden - Württemberg Saarland Schleswig - Holstein State Capital Area ( km2 ) Population ( Dec. 31, 2015 ) Population density North Rhine - Westphalia Düsseldorf 34,110 17,865,516 524 Bavaria Munich 70,550 12,843,514 182 Baden - Württemberg Stuttgart 35,751 10,879,618 304 Lower Saxony Hanover 47,614 7,926,599 167 Hesse Wiesbaden 21,115 6,176,172 293 Saxony Dresden 18,420 4,084,851 221 Rhineland - Palatinate Mainz 19,854 4,052,803 204 Berlin Berlin 892 3,670,622 4,100 Schleswig - Holstein Kiel 15,800 2,858,714 181 Brandenburg Potsdam 29,654 2,484,826 83 Saxony - Anhalt Magdeburg 20,452 2,245,470 110 Thuringia Erfurt 16,173 2,170,714 134 Hamburg Hamburg 755 1,787,408 2,366 Mecklenburg - Vorpommern Schwerin 23,212 1,612,362 69 Saarland Saarbrücken 2,569 995,597 388 Bremen Bremen 419 671,489 1,599 Germany Berlin 357,340 82,175,684 230 Cities Main articles : List of cities in Germany and List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants view talk Berlin Hamburg Munich ( München ) Rank City Federal state Population view talk Cologne ( Köln ) Frankfurt am Main Stuttgart Berlin Berlin 3,670,622 Hamburg Hamburg 1,787,408 Munich Bavaria 1,450,381 Cologne North Rhine - Westphalia 1,060,582 5 Frankfurt am Main Hesse 732,688 6 Stuttgart Baden - Württemberg 623,738 7 Düsseldorf North Rhine - Westphalia 612.178 8 Dortmund North Rhine - Westphalia 586,181 9 Essen North Rhine - Westphalia 582,624 10 Leipzig Saxony 560,472 11 Bremen Bremen 557,464 12 Dresden Saxony 543,825 13 Hanover Lower Saxony 532,163 14 Nuremberg Bavaria 509,975 15 Duisburg North Rhine - Westphalia 491,231 Source : Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder Metropolitan regions Main article : Metropolitan regions in Germany Germany officially has eleven metropolitan regions. In 2005, Germany had 82 cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Metropolitan region Location Description Population Notes Rhine - Ruhr The metropolitan area is part of the pan-European Blue Banana mega region and is a significant industrial and commercial hub, home to many of Germany 's biggest corporations and contributing as much as 15 % to the German GDP. Included in the rather polycentric conurbation are the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Dortmund and Essen served by two of the countries largest airports Düsseldorf Airport and the Cologne Bonn Airport. Particularly among young Germans, Cologne and Düsseldorf are known for their nightlife and open - minded atmosphere. approx. 10 million Turks, Poles, Italians, Romanians, Africans, Arabs, Greeks, Dutch, Russians, Serbs, Bulgarians and Spaniards Berlin / Brandenburg Berlin is the capital and largest city. It lies in the eastern part of the country, completely surrounded by the rather sparsely populated state of Brandenburg. Berlin is regarded as one of Europe 's most open, vibrant and ever changing capitals. The city is arguably the most diverse city in Germany regarding culture and ethnicity. Regarded as an economically weak region of Germany for a long time, it is now transforming itself into the entrepreneurial center of Europe. Dubbed the `` Silicon Allee '' by insiders of the tech industry, Berlin is home to countless startup companies and one of Germany 's densest knowledge hubs with 4 public universities and countless research centers. approx. 6 million Turks, Russians, Poles, Africans, Italians, Americans, Vietnamese, Serbs, Arabs, Bulgarians, Romanians, French and Spaniards Munich The metropolitan area in and around Munich has one of Germany 's highest standard of living. Housing some of the countries largest car and machine companies, it is known for its economic strength mixed with the uniqueness of Bavarian culture, taking up almost the entirety of southern Bavaria. It is the closest metropolitan area to the Alps. approx. 5.7 million Turks, Croats, Italians, Poles, Greeks, Austrians, Romanians and Serbs Rhine - Main Frankfurt is the financial and commercial center both for Germany and continental Europe. Almost all of Germany 's big banks and the ECB have their HQ located inside the city of Frankfurt. Despite not having a population of over a million, it is Germany 's only city with a large, visible cluster of skyscrapers. The city is one of Europe 's biggest transit hubs with Europe 's 4th busiest airport ( Frankfurt airport ), Germany 's second busiest railway stations and one of the EU 's most heavily used interchanges. approx. 5.5 million Turks, Poles, Italians, African, Croats, Romanians, Greeks, Serbs, Spaniards, Americans, Chinese, Arabs and Indians Hamburg Hamburg is the country 's second largest city and the biggest Hanseatic city in Europe. It is Europe 's 3rd busiest container port with just under 9 million TEUs annually. The city is proud of its diverse nightlife and music scene centered in and around the famous St. Pauli district. approx. 5.3 million Turks, Poles, African, Portuguese, Romanians, Russians, Italians and Spaniards Stuttgart Stuttgart has a reputation for research, inventions and industry. The German headquarters of many international enterprises are in Stuttgart. This contrasts with the strong rural, down - to - earth attitude of the Stuttgarters throughout the classes. A popular slogan is `` We are good at everything. Except speaking High ( standard ) German. '' approx. 5.2 million Turks, Greeks, Dutch, Italians, Croats, Serbs, French, Chinese, Romanians, Americans and Spaniards. Hannover -- Braunschweig -- Göttingen -- Wolfsburg The relatively urban south of Lower Saxony, located on route between the Ruhr area and Berlin, and the route form Hamburg to the south, has been important for logistics, industry, but also developed a strong standing in the service industries. approx. 3.7 million Turks, Kurds ( especially around Celle ), Serbs, Ukrainians, Greeks, Russians, Italians ( especially in Wolfsburg ) and Spanish ( Especially in Hanover ). Bremen / Oldenburg Located in the northwestern part of Germany, the main axis contains the cities of Bremen, Delmenhorst and Oldenburg, with the cities of Wilhelmshaven and Bremerhaven being the northern corners at the north sea. Major rural areas are covered in between these cities. There is a smooth transition to the Hamburg metropolitan area to the east. approx. 2.7 million Turks, Russians, Albanians, Serbs, Portuguese, Iranians, Dutch, Americans and Britons. Central German Metropolitan Region Very lively bar scene, fastest growing economy in Germany. approx. 2.4 mil Russians, Poles, Vietnamese, Indians, Italians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Chinese, Turks, Portuguese, Arabs and Pakistanis. Immigration Main articles : Immigration to Germany and Germans Abroad See also : European migrant crisis Over ten million people living in Germany today were born outside of Germany ; equivalent to 12 % of the German population. Most immigrants come from other European countries, particularly from Turkey, Russia, Poland and Italy. Germany is the second-most popular destination for immigrants in the world after the United States. The German Government has been keen to encourage immigration over the past fifty years. Germany had signed special visa agreements with several countries in times of severe labour shortages or when particular skills were deficient within the country. During the 1960s and 1970s, agreements were signed with the governments of Turkey, Yugoslavia, Italy and Spain to help Germany overcome its severe labour shortage. As of 2012, the largest sources of net immigration to Germany are other European countries, most importantly Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Greece ; notably, in the case of Turkey, German Turks moving to Turkey slightly outnumber new immigrants. In 2015, there were 476,649 asylum applications. Education Main article : Education in Germany Cadets of the German Navy exercising in front of one of the gyms of Germany 's naval officers school, the Marineschule Mürwik. Responsibility for educational oversight in Germany lies primarily with the individual federated states. Since the 1960s, a reform movement has attempted to unify secondary education into a Gesamtschule ( comprehensive school ) ; several West German states later simplified their school systems to two or three tiers. A system of apprenticeship called Duale Ausbildung ( `` dual education '' ) allows pupils in vocational training to learn in a company as well as in a state - run vocational school. Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is compulsory for at least nine years. Primary education usually lasts for four years and public schools are not stratified at this stage. In contrast, secondary education includes three traditional types of schools focused on different levels of academic ability : the Gymnasium enrols the most academically promising children and prepares students for university studies ; the Realschule for intermediate students lasts six years ; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education. In addition Germany has a comprehensive school known as the Gesamtschule. While some German schools such as the Gymnasium and the Realschule have rather strict entrance requirements, the Gesamtschule does not have such requirements. They offer college preparatory classes for the students who are doing well, general education classes for average students, and remedial courses for those who are n't doing that well. In most cases students attending a Gesamtschule may graduate with the Hauptschulabschluss, the Realschulabschluss or the Abitur depending on how well they did in school. The percentage of students attending a Gesamtschule varies by Bundesland. In 2007 the State of Brandenburg more than 50 % of all students attended a Gesamtschule, while in the State of Bavaria less than 1 % did. The general entrance requirement for university is Abitur, a qualification normally based on continuous assessment during the last few years at school and final examinations ; however there are a number of exceptions, and precise requirements vary, depending on the state, the university and the subject. Germany 's universities are recognised internationally ; in the Academic Ranking of World Universities ( ARWU ) for 2008, six of the top 100 universities in the world are in Germany, and 18 of the top 200. Nearly all German universities are public institutions, tuition fees in the range of € 500 were introduced in some states after 2006, but quickly abolished again until 2014. Percentage of jobholders holding Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss or Abitur in Germany 1970 1982 1991 2000 Hauptschulabschluss 87, 7 % 79, 3 % 66, 5 % 54, 9 % Realschulabschluss 10, 9 % 17, 7 % 27 % 34, 1 % Abitur 1, 4 % 3 % 6, 5 % 11 % Literacy Over 99 % of those of age 15 and above are estimated to be able to read and write. However, a growing number of inhabitants are functionally illiterate. The young are much more likely to be functionally illiterate than the old. According to a study done by the University of Bremen in coorporation with the `` Bundesverband Alphabetisierung e.V. '', 10 % of youngsters living in Germany are functionally illiterate and one quarter are able to understand only basic level texts. Illiteracy rates of youngsters vary by ethnic group and parents ' socioeconomic class. Health Main article : Health in Germany As of 2009, the principal cause of death was cardiovascular disease, at 42 %, followed by malignant tumours, at 25 %. As of 2008, about 82,000 Germans had been infected with HIV / AIDS and 26,000 had died from the disease ( cumulatively, since 1982 ). According to a 2005 survey, 27 % of German adults are smokers. A 2009 study shows Germany is near the median in terms of overweight and obese people in Europe. Religion Main article : Religion in Germany The national constitutions of 1919 and 1949 guarantee freedom of faith and religion ; earlier, these freedoms were mentioned only in state constitutions. The modern constitution of 1949 also states that no one may be discriminated against due to their faith or religious opinions. A state church does not exist in Germany ( see Freedom of religion in Germany ). 2008 map of Christian denominations in the states of Germany Roman Catholic majority Evangelical Church in Germany ( EKD ) majority Christian majority, Catholic plurality Christian majority, EKD plurality Christians less than 50 % of population, majority of Christians belong to EKD According to a 1990s poll by Der Spiegel, 45 % of Germans believe in God, and a quarter in Jesus Christ. According to the Eurobarometer Poll 2010, 44 % of German citizens responded that `` they believe there is a God '', 25 % responded that `` they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force '' and 27 % responded that `` they do n't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force ''. 4 % gave no response. Christianity is the largest religion in Germany, comprising an estimated 57.9 % of the country 's population. Islam is the second largest religion in Germany, with an estimated 6.1 % of the population according to a 2017 Pew Research Survey. Germany has the second largest Muslim population in Europe, at nearly 5 million, and is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades. Smaller religious groups ( less than 1 % ) include Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism. The two largest churches, the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany ( EKD ), have lost significant number of adherents. In 2016 the Catholic Church accounted for 28.5 % and the Evangelical Church for 26.5 % of the population. Other Christian churches and groups summed up to 3.3 % with estimations for the Orthodox Church between 1.3 % and 1.9 %. Since the reunification of Germany, the number of non-religious people has grown and an estimated 36.2 % of the country 's population are not affiliated with any church or religion. The other religions make up to less than 1 % of the population. Buddhism has around 200,000 adherents ( 0.2 % ), Judaism has around 200.000 adherents ( 0.2 % ), Hinduism 90,000 ( 0.1 % ), Sikhism 75,000 ( 0.1 % ) and Yazidis religion ( 45,000 - 60,000 ). All other religious communities in Germany have fewer than 50,000 ( < 0.1 % ) adherents. Religion in Germany ( 2016 ) No Religion 35.2 % Roman Catholicism 28.6 % Evangelical Church 26.6 % Islam 5.8 % Orthodox Church 2.0 % Other Christians 1.0 % Other Religions 0.8 % Protestantism is concentrated in the north and east and Roman Catholicism is concentrated in the south and west. According to the last nationwide census, Protestantism is more widespread among the population with German citizenship ; there are slightly more Catholics total because of the Catholic immigrant population ( including such groups as Poles and Italians ). The former Pope, Benedict XVI, was born in Bavaria. Non-religious people, including atheists and agnostics, might make up as many as 55 % of the total population, and are especially numerous in the former East Germany and major metropolitan areas. Of the roughly 4 million Muslims, most are Sunnis and Alevites from Turkey, but there are a small number of Shi'ites and other denominations. 1.3 % of the country 's overall population declare themselves Orthodox Christians, with Serbs, Greeks, Montenegrins, Ukrainians and Russians being the most numerous. Germany has Europe 's third - largest Jewish population ( after France and the United Kingdom ). In 2004, twice as many Jews from former Soviet republics settled in Germany as in Israel, bringing the total Jewish population to more than 200,000, compared to 30,000 prior to German reunification. Large cities with significant Jewish populations include Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. Around 250,000 active Buddhists live in Germany ; 50 % of them are Asian immigrants. 2011 census Census results were as follows : Roman Catholic Church : 24,740,380 or 30.8 % of the German population ; Evangelical Church : 24,328,100 or 30.3 % of the German population ; Other, atheist or not specified ( including Protestants outside EKD ) : 31,151,210 or 38.9 % of the German population. Religion ( 2011 German Census ) Catholic Church ( 30.8 % ) EKD ( 30.3 % ) Other, atheist or unspecified ( 38.9 % ) Evangelical population according to the 2011 Census Catholic population according to the 2011 Census Non-Christian population according to the 2011 Census ( including other religions and not specified ) Predominant religious group according to the 2011 Census - Catholics are dominant in the south and west, the non-religious ( including other religions and not specified ) dominate in the east and the large cities and Protestants dominate in north, east, and central parts of Germany Languages Main article : Languages of Germany German is the only official and most widely spoken language. Standard German is understood throughout the country. Minority languages Bilingual German - Sorbian city limit signs Danish, Low German, Low Rhenish, the Sorbian languages ( Lower Sorbian and Upper Sorbian ), and the two Frisian languages, Saterfrisian and North Frisian, are officially recognized and protected as minority languages by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in their respective regions. With speakers of Romany living in all parts of Germany, the federal government has promised to take action to protect the language. Until now, only Hesse has followed Berlin 's announcement, and agreed on implementing concrete measures to support Romany speakers. Implementation of the Charter is poor. The monitoring reports on charter implementation in Germany show many provisions unfulfilled. Protected Minority Languages in Germany Language States Danish Schleswig - Holstein North Frisian Schleswig - Holstein Saterland Frisian Lower Saxony Low German Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg - Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony - Anhalt, Schleswig - Holstein, North Rhine - Westphalia Low Rhenish North Rhine - Westphalia Upper Sorbian Saxony Lower Sorbian Brandenburg Romany Hesse de facto, de jure in all states ( see text ) High German dialects City limits sign ; this city is called Emlichheim in High German and Emmelkamp in Low German German dialects -- some quite distinct from the standard language -- are used in everyday speech, especially in rural regions. Many dialects, for example the Upper German varieties, are to some degree cultivated as symbols of regional identity and have their own literature, theaters and some TV programming. While speaking a dialect outside its native region might be frowned upon, in their native regions some dialects can be spoken by all social classes.. Nevertheless, partly due to the prevalence of Standard German in media, the use of dialects has declined over the past century, especially in the younger population. The social status of different German dialects can vary greatly. The Alemannic and Bavarian dialects of the south are positively valued by their speakers and can be used in almost all social circumstances. The Saxonian and Thuringian dialects have less prestige and are subject to derision. While Bavarian and Alemannic have kept much of their distinctiveness, the Middle German dialects, which are closer to Standard German, have lost some of their distinctive lexical and grammatical features and tend to be only pronunciation variants of Standard German. Low Saxon dialects Low Saxon is officially recognized as a language on its own, but despite this fact, there 's little official action taken on fostering the language. Historically one third of Germany 's territory and population was Low Saxon speaking. No data was ever collected on the actual number of speakers, but today the number of speakers ranges around 5 million persons. Despite this relatively high number of speakers there is very little coverage in the media ( mostly on NDR TV, no regular programming ) and very little education in or on the language. The language is not fixed as part of the school curriculum and Low Saxon is used as a medium of instruction in one school only in the whole Germany ( as a `` model project '' in primary school sided by education in Standard German ). As a consequence the younger generation refused to adopt the native language of their parents. Language prevalence dropped from more than 90 % ( depending on the exact region ) in the 1930s to less than 5 % today. This accounts for a massive intergenerational gap in language use. Older people regularly use the language and take private initiative to maintain the language, but the lack of innovative potential of the younger generation hinders language maintenance. The language too has an own literature ( around 150 published books every year ) and there are many theatres ( mostly lay stages, but some professional ones, like for example Ohnsorg - Theater ). Use of Low Saxon is mainly restricted to use among acquaintances, like family members, neighbours and friends. A meeting of a village council can be held almost completely in Low Saxon if all participants know each other ( as long as written protocols are written in Standard German ), but a single foreigner can make the whole switching to Standard German. The Low Saxon dialects are different in their status too. There 's a north - south gradient in language maintenance. The Southern dialects of Westfalian, Eastfalian and Brandenburgish have had much stronger speaker losses, than the northern coastal dialects of Northern Low Saxon. While Eastfalian has lost speakers to Standard German, Westfalian has lost speakers to Standard German and Standard German based regiolect of the Rhine - Ruhr area. Brandenburgish speakers mostly switched to the Standard German - based regiolect of Berlin. Brandenburgish is almost completely replaced by the Berlin regiolect. Northern Low Saxon speakers switched mostly to pure Standard German. Foreign languages English is the most common foreign language and almost universally taught by the secondary level ; it is also taught at elementary level in some states. Other commonly - taught languages are French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. Dutch is taught in states bordering the Netherlands, and Polish in the eastern states bordering Poland. Latin and Ancient Greek are part of the classical education syllabus offered in many secondary schools. According to a 2004 survey, two - thirds of Germany 's citizens have at least basic knowledge of English. About 20 % consider themselves to be competent speakers of French, followed by speakers of Russian ( 7 % ), Italian ( 6.1 % ), and Spanish ( 5.6 % ). The relatively high number of Russian speakers is a result of massive immigration from the former Soviet Union to Germany for almost 10 consecutive years, plus its having been learned in school by many older former East Germans. See also Germany portal European Union portal Germans Census in Germany Notes Jump up ^ In fertility rates, 2.1 and above is a stable population and have been marked blue, 2 and below leads an aging population and the result is that the population reduces. References Jump up ^ `` The World Factbook ''. cia.gov. Retrieved 23 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Bevölkerung auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011 ''. 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Jump up ^ ( in German ) Religionen in Deutschland : Mitgliederzahlen Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien - und Informationsdienst ; 31 October 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009. Jump up ^ `` Chapter 2 : Wie viele Muslime leben in Deutschland ? '' ( How many Muslims live in Germany ? ). Muslimisches Leben in Deutschland ( Muslim Life in Germany ) ( PDF ) ( in German ). Nuremberg : Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ( German : Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge ), an agency of the Federal Ministry of the Interior ( Germany ). June 2009. p. 80. ISBN 978 - 3 - 9812115 - 1 - 1. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 09. Demnach leben in Deutschland zwischen 3, 8 und4, 3 Millionen Muslime (... ) beträgt der Anteil der Muslime an der Gesamtbevölkerungzwischen 4, 6 und 5, 2 Prozent. Rund 45 Prozent der in Deutschland lebenden Muslime sind deutsche Staatsangehörige, rund 55 Prozent haben eine ausländische Staatsangehörigkeit. Jump up ^ `` Chapter 2 : Wie viele Muslime leben in Deutschland ? '' ( How many Muslims live in Germany ? ). Muslimisches Leben in Deutschland ( Muslim Life in Germany ) ( PDF ) ( in German ). Nuremberg : Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ( German : Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge ), an agency of the Federal Ministry of the Interior ( Germany ). June 2009. p. 97. ISBN 978 - 3 - 9812115 - 1 - 1. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 09. Der Anteil der Sunniten unter den in den Haushalten lebenden Muslimen beträgt 74 Prozent 74.1 % Sunni 12.7 % Alevite 7.1 % Schiite 1.7 % Ahmadi 0.3 % Ibadi 0.1 % Sufi / mystic 4.0 % other Jump up ^ `` EKD - Statistik : Christen in Deutschland 2007 '' ( in German ). Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2010. Jump up ^ Blake, Mariah. In Nazi cradle, Germany marks Jewish renaissance Christian Science Monitor. 10 November 2006. Retrieved 2006 - 11 - 30. Jump up ^ The Jewish Community of Germany European Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2006 - 11 - 30. Jump up ^ ( in German ) Die Zeit 12 / 07, page 13 Jump up ^ Including Protestants outside EKD. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographie Deutschlands. 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Question: what is the largest ethnic group in germany
Answer: European