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Germany's Population Falls to 83.5 Million

Reduced net migration combined with a record gap between deaths and births left arrivals unable to make up the shortfall.

Overview

  • Official data published in mid‑June show Germany's population dropped by about 110,000 people to 83.5 million, marking the first annual decline since 2020 after years of growth.
  • The country recorded 352,000 more deaths than births in 2025, the largest birth‑death gap in the available series and a main driver of the decline.
  • Net migration fell from +430,000 in 2024 to +235,000 in 2025 and therefore could not offset the birth deficit.
  • The population is aging: only people aged 60–79 grew (up 2.8% or roughly 358,000), while numbers fell for those under 60 and for people 80 and older, changing the age mix that supports workplaces and services.
  • Regional patterns diverge sharply and migration stocks remain large: only Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen gained people; eastern states lost relatively more; and over 4 million residents in 2025 were recorded as having a flight, expulsion or protection background, shaped by major inflows in 2015 and 2022.