Migrant Population in Germany Reaches 26%

Nearly a quarter of the population in Germany has a migrant background, according to new official data, highlighting long-term demographic shifts in Europe’s largest economy.

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany reported on Monday that around 21.8 million people in Germany were of migrant origin in 2025, accounting for 26.3 percent of the total population, up by 0.5 percentage points compared with 2024.

Under the official definition, individuals are considered to have a migrant background if they migrated to Germany themselves or have at least one parent who moved to the country after 1950. The figures are based on the annual microcensus, a representative survey covering about 1 percent of the population.

The data shows that roughly one in five residents in Germany are first-generation migrants, with their number reaching 16.4 million in 2025, a 1.7 percent increase year-on-year. Growth in migration has slowed compared with previous years.

Among first-generation migrants, the largest groups come from Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and Syria, reflecting ongoing migration patterns linked to labor markets, conflict, and regional mobility.

Second-generation migrants, defined as those born in Germany to migrant parents, totaled approximately 5.4 million in 2025, marking a 3 percent increase from the previous year.

The statistics office noted that the number of people with a migrant background has risen significantly over the past two decades, increasing from 13 million in 2005 to more than 21 million in 2025, a 67 percent rise. Their share of the total population has also grown by about 10 percentage points over the same period.

The data also highlights demographic differences, showing that people with a migrant background tend to be younger than the overall population. In the 25 to 34 age group, more than one-third have a migrant background, compared with about one in seven among those aged 65 and older.

Among young first-generation migrants aged 25 to 34, around one-third hold a university degree, while a similar proportion have no formal vocational qualification and are not enrolled in education or training.