Number of young people in Germany at historic low
At the end of 2025, just 8,3 million people in Germany were aged between 15 and 24 years old, a historic low. What do the figures mean for the future?
Germany's population of young people aged between 15 and 24 years old reached a historic low in late 2025, with only 8.3 million individuals. This decline began in the mid-1980s when they constituted around 16.7 percent of the population, now making up just 10 percent of the country's 83 million residents. This trend is even more pronounced when considering only those without a migration background, where the percentage drops to 8.5 percent.
Bremen, Hamburg, and Baden-Württemberg have the highest percentages of young people, while eastern states exhibit the lowest. The German Economic Institute recently reported that population expectations have been exceeded, with the country now expected to shrink to 82 million by 2040 from the previously forecasted 85 million. This could result in a shortage of approximately 4.3 million workers by 2036, potentially leading to a stagnation in economic growth.
Written by urgent.news from IamExpat Germany (All Germany News)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
