German population shrinks for first time since 2020
Germany’s population declined in 2025 for the first time since 2020, signaling growing demographic challenges for Europe’s largest economy.
According to Destatis (Federal Statistical Office of Germany), the country’s population fell by around 110,000 people last year. By the end of 2025, Germany’s total population stood at 83.5 million, marking a decline of approximately 0.13 percent.
Although migration remained positive, with 235,000 more people moving into Germany than leaving, it was not enough to offset the natural population decline. In 2025, Germany recorded 352,000 more deaths than births, highlighting the country’s worsening birth crisis.
The decline was not entirely unexpected. Germany’s birth rate dropped to a record low last year, while migration policies also tightened. During the 2025 election campaign, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had promised stricter migration controls, which likely contributed to lower net migration figures.
Population growth was limited to only three city-states: Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg. Meanwhile, former East German states experienced a much sharper decline, losing about 0.5 percent of their population, compared to a 0.1 percent drop in former West German regions. Experts note that eastern states have fewer residents with migrant backgrounds, a group that generally has higher birth rates.
Germany’s population is also aging rapidly. The number of people aged 60 to 79 increased by 358,000 as more Babyboomers moved closer to retirement. At the same time, the crucial working-age population between 20 and 59 shrank by 409,000 people, or 1 percent, raising concerns about future labor shortages and economic pressure on taxpayers.