Germany’s demographics are shifting at a record pace, as new government data reveals that one in four people in Germany now have an “immigration history.” This figure, published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), represents 21.2 million residents—an increase of 873,000 people in just one year. Among young adults aged 20-39, the number surges to one in three.
The situation may be even more pronounced than the official figures suggest. Germany’s restrictive definition of a “migrant” only includes first-generation immigrants and their children if both parents are migrants. Those born to one migrant parent and one German parent—estimated at 4.1 million people—are excluded from the headline count. When including this group, the true figure of Germany’s foreign-heritage population rises to over 30%.
These numbers highlight a dramatic transformation in Germany’s population over the past few decades, driven by policies like the Gastarbeiter (guest worker) program, which began 70 years ago and was originally intended to be temporary. Few of these workers ever returned to their countries of origin, leading to multi-generational immigrant families that are not fully captured by current statistics.
Since 2015, 6.5 million people have entered Germany, with the largest groups coming from Ukraine, Syria, and Turkey. This wave, triggered by the European Migrant Crisis, has significantly altered the cultural and social fabric of Germany.
Yet, not all migration streams are thriving. A report by Germany’s Die Welt notes that the number of Eastern European migrants, long considered a key source of labor for the German economy, has declined by two-thirds in recent years. As a result, the German Economic Institute has suggested the government seek more immigrants from non-European countries to fill labor shortages.
Germany’s reliance on mass immigration has created deep divisions, as many Germans grow increasingly concerned over the country’s ability to integrate millions of newcomers, while the government continues to pursue policies aimed at attracting even more migrants.
