Germany’s Population Grew by Only 0.1% In 2021
According to the most recent press release issued by the Federal Statistical Office, the population in Germany grew by 0.1 per cent, or by 82,000 people in 2021, after remaining almost unchanged in 2020, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
In order to better understand this increase, the Federal Statistical Office explains that over 83.2 million people were living in Germany at the end of 2021. Such figures are higher than those registered before the pre-pandemic period.
“Germany’s population rose by 0.1 per cent, or 82,000 people, in 2021 after having remained almost unchanged a year earlier (-12,000 people). The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports on the basis of intercensal population updates that just over 83.2 million people were living in Germany at the end of 2021, more than before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019,” the statement of the Office reads.
The Office noted that this development is mainly due to an increase in net immigration. The provisional results show that the net immigration rose from 220,000 in 2020 to 317,000 in 2021, approaching the level attained before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (327,000).
In addition, it was emphasised that the excess of deaths over births increased from 212,000 in 2020 to 228,000 in 2021.
Regarding the population changes, the Office reveals that compared to 2020, the most prominent increase in population in 2021 has been registered in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Niedersachsen.
Baden-Württemberg recorded an increase of 21,600, Bavaria recorded an increase of 36,800, and Niedersachsen recorded an increase of 23,600.
The naturalisation rate in Germany also increased in 2021. The Federal Statistical Office revealed earlier this month that due to the outstanding effort at integration, the country registered an all-time high rate of naturalisation in 2021.
The Office said that around 131,600 foreigners became naturalised German citizens in 2021, representing an increase of 20 per cent compared to the previous year, 2020.
It was explained that this increase is mainly attributable to a large number of naturalisations of Syrian nationals. Approximately 19,100 Syrian citizens were naturalised in 2021; three times as many as in 2020.
Nationals of other countries also accounted for a high number of naturalisations. Over 12,200 Turkish nationals became naturalised German citizens in 2021. Naturalisations were also frequent among Romanian (6,900), Polish (5,500), and Italian (5,000) citizens. This means that not only nationals of third countries but also those from the EU apply to become legal German citizens.
