Demographics of Germany

The agency that keeps track of the demographics of Germany is known as the Federal Statistical office of Germany, or the Statistisches Bundesamt in German. The FSG has has offices in Wiesbaden—its main branch—Berlin, and Bonn, and it employs more than 2,700 employees between the three. It was created in 1953 in order to collect, process, present, and analyze data about German society, the economy, and the environment. It is also responsible for advising the German government, and providing other agencies—such as embassies, industrial firms, public associations and individuals—with any statistical data they request. The FSG ensures that data on the demographics of Germany is collected quickly and accurately, and interpreted properly.

Today’s assessment of the demographics of Germany show that its population may be on the decline.  As of the last census, Germany was reported to have a population of 82 million people, which makes it the country with the fourteenth highest population figures worldwide. The growth rate for the German population has reached zero, and is projected to decline in the future. The population is characterized by a larger number of older people and fewer young people. 

Meanwhile, the ethnic demographics of Germany are increasing in number. Although 91.2% of the population was assessed to be ethnic German, a growing number of Turks, Italians, Poles, and others also reside within the country. 2-3% of the population was reported to be of Turkish descent, making Turkish the largest minority group in all of Germany. All other immigrant groups represent negligible percentages of the total German population. Others who reside in Germany include Danes, Frisians, Roma, Sinti, and Sorbs, many of whom reside in the provinces of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Saxony, and Brandenburg. Recent surveys by the State of World Population show that Germany ranks third worldwide in terms of percentage of international migrants, which amounts to five percent of the world’s total immigrants.

The demographics of Germany also show that Germans practice a surprising variety of religions. As the heart of the former Holy Roman Empire, Germany’s population is nearly 32% Roman Catholic. However, Germany was also the source of the Protestant Reformation, and has  comparable number of people who list the Evangelical Church of Germany as their place fo worship. A similar number list themselves as atheistic, agnostic, or otherwise irreligious. Muslims and Orthodox Christians make up four and two percent of the population, respectively, and the smallest population segment is that of the Jews, who amount to only 0.3 percent of the population.

Languages spoken in Germany include Standard German, various German dialects, Danish, Sorbian and Frisian.