Germany’s latest census results show that the country is experiencing an overall population decline, with the number of foreign residents also significantly below expectations. This survey also covered housing and heating situations among Germans.
According to the population census results for 2022 announced in Berlin on June 25, Germany has a total population of approximately 82.71 million, with around 40.67 million males and 42.05 million females. The number of people holding German passports is around 71.81 million, while those with foreign identification stand at approximately 10.91 million.
In comparison to the 2011 census, the German population has increased by 2.5 million over the past decade. The Director of the Federal Statistical Office stated that this increase is approximately 1.6% lower (about 1.4 million people) than the previous official estimates. Particularly in Cologne, there is a significant discrepancy between official estimates and the actual population, with a 5.6% lower population than expected. Overall, in 56% of communities in Germany’s 10,786 cities and towns, there has been a decrease in population (at least 1%), with most of them located in newly established federal states.
The deviation in the population decline across the country is especially severe due to the impact of foreign residents. As of May 15, 2022, approximately 10.9 million foreigners were residing in Germany, almost one million lower than the previously reported figures. Statistical authorities attribute the discrepancy to the mobility of refugees affecting the registration of foreign residents.
Apart from population data, the 2022 census also provided information on apartment sizes, types of heating, and rental prices in Germany. According to the results, from 2011 to 2022, the number of apartments in Germany increased by 2.5 million, reaching approximately 43.1 million units. During this period, the average area of each apartment increased by three square meters to an average of 94 square meters. In states like Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, this figure even rose to five square meters, while Berlin and Hamburg saw the smallest increase in average apartment size.
However, people in the eastern states of Germany generally reside in smaller apartments: the average living area in Saxony is around 79.1 square meters, while in Rhineland-Palatinate, it is 107.7 square meters.
The census also provided data on how much tenants in Germany pay for their apartments. The average net rent in Germany in 2022 was €7.28 per square meter. The cheapest apartments were found in Saarland, with an average of €5.38 per square meter, while Hamburg had the highest average rent at €9.16 per square meter, followed by Bavaria at €8.74 per square meter. Hesse (€8.21 per square meter) and Baden-Württemberg (€8.13 per square meter) were next.
Rental prices in major cities, especially Munich (€12.98 per square meter), Frankfurt (€10.58 per square meter), and Stuttgart (€10.39 per square meter), were the most expensive. Berlin was in the middle at €7.67 per square meter. The cheapest major city in the west was Hagen, with an average rent of €5.39 per square meter. Chemnitz was the cheapest major city nationwide at €5.26 per square meter. These figures are based on surveys of buildings and apartment owners and do not include quoted rents.
Additionally, three-quarters (75%) of apartments in Germany use natural gas (56%) or oil (19%) for heating, with another 15% using district heating whose energy source is unrecorded. Renewable energy plays a limited role in Germany, with only 4% of apartments using wood or wood pellets for heating, 3% using solar or geothermal energy, and environmental heat or waste heat, typically through heat pumps.
Germany conducts a comprehensive survey of population and residents’ living conditions every ten years, jointly carried out by the Federal and State Statistical Offices. While the Federal Statistical Office is responsible for developing the necessary technical applications, the State Statistical Offices handle the implementation of the survey, coordinating field surveys and recruiting survey personnel.
The 2022 German census was based on population registers and supplemented by sampling, combined with building and apartment surveys, with all data being accessible online for free. This census, planned to be conducted every ten years since 2011, was delayed from 2021 to 2022 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the next round of the census is planned for 2031.