Overview
- Destatis' rapid-release count is provisional and may be revised after statistical validation.
- Nearly all states saw fewer starters, led by Saarland (-8.5%), Saxony-Anhalt (-5.6%), Thuringia (-5.5%) and Berlin (-4.2%), while Bremen edged up (+0.6%).
- The drop continues last school year's reversal, which marked the first year-on-year decline since 2015.
- Officials also note a fading migration effect, with fewer new arrivals from Ukraine reducing recent enrollment boosts.
- Children aged 5–6 decreased 1.1% nationwide by end-2024, and the share entering special needs schools rose to 3.5% with boys making up 69% there.