Demographics of Berlin

Demographics of Berlin
Population pyramid of Berlin in 2022
Population3,700,577 (2025)
Urbanized Berlin

As of 31 December 2025, Berlin had 3,700,577 inhabitants, making it Germany's most populous city and the most populous city proper in the European Union. Foreign nationals numbered 833,213, accounting for 22.5% of all inhabitants. Recent population growth has been driven primarily by migration.[1]

History

People running in 1958
Population pyramid of Berlin in 1946

The city responded to the 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes in France with the Edict of Potsdam, which guaranteed religious freedom and tax-free status to French Huguenot refugees for ten years. Thanks to its role as the capital of rising Prussia, the population grew steadily: it surpassed the 100,000 mark in 1747 and the one-million mark in 1877.

Growth accelerated in the 19th century with the industrialisation after the Napoleonic Wars and the Prussian Reforms. Only about 40% of Berliners in the last quarter of the 19th century were natives of the city. Nevertheless, Berlin's population remained ethnically and even regionally very homogeneous: In 1895, over 98% of inhabitants spoke German as their native language. Among the rest were 12,000 Polish speakers, 700 Russophones and about 2,000 other Slavs. In 1900, most of the 1.9 million Berliners originated from the eastern provinces of Prussia. A fifth hailed from the surrounding province of Brandenburg, 9% from the provinces of West and East Prussia, 7% from Silesia, 6% from Pomerania, 5% from Posen, 4% from Saxony. Only about 3 to 4% had come to the city from other German regions and only about 1.5% from abroad, mostly from Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire.[2]

Between 1913 and 1917, the population fell by about 16% down to 1.744 million people, mostly due to men serving in World War I, but recovered somewhat after the armistice, reaching 1.928 million people in December 1919. In December 1917, during the latter part of the war, there were 58,152 military personnel and 4,017 prisoners-of-war in the city.

Greater Berlin and interwar growth

The industrialisation had brought about a rapid expansion of the suburbs, many of them developed explicitly for workers of specific factories, e.g. Siemensstadt and Borsigwalde. The Greater Berlin Act of 1920 (Groß-Berlin-Gesetz) boosted the population by incorporating many hitherto autonomous towns and cities, e.g. Spandau and Köpenick at the margins of the modern metropolis, but also Charlottenburg, nowadays almost in the heart of the city. The city approximately reached its modern extent, growing from 66 km2 (25 sq mi) to 883 km2 (341 sq mi). This expansion made Berlin the most populous city proper of Continental Europe in the interwar period (though not the largest agglomeration[3]) and the third-largest in the world behind London and New York. The four-million mark was surpassed in the 1920s.[4]

Nazi rule and World War II

During the 1930s, Berlin's population remained relatively stable. The 1939 census recorded around 4.33 million inhabitants, making it the last major population count before the outbreak of the Second World War.[5] The city's demographic composition was also transformed by Nazi persecution. Berlin's Jewish population, which numbered around 160,000 people in 1933, declined sharply as many emigrated and others were later deported.[6]

In 1942, the officially registered population reached its maximum of 4.48 million, although because of the war conditions, this was an overestimation. More likely estimates based on food rationing data show lower numbers of 3.95 million people in February 1942 and only 3.11 million people in February 1944 (incl. 177,000 foreigners) when aerial attacks approached its most intense phase.[7]

Post-war division and migration

In the context of the more general huge population movements in immediately post-war Germany, a significant part of Berlin's pre-war population permanently resettled to other parts of Germany or abroad. A 1946 census counted 436,600 Berliners in the western occupation zones and 306,823 in the Soviet zone. In 1950, this number had risen to 518,218 in what had now become the Federal Republic.[8] Since the end of World War II, the city population has been fluctuating between 3 and 3.5 million, with a low of less than 3.1 million from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s.[9] Between 1950 and 1961, so between the establishment of the Soviet-backed German Democratic Republic and the construction of the Berlin Wall, most of the losses were incurred by East Berlin, while West Berlin showed modest growth of 2.3%.

Moving to West Berlin was attractive for those from West Germany who wished to avoid the draft from 1957 to 1990, because the special administrative status of the city meant that the draft could not be enforced there.

From the late 1960s, West Berlin experienced substantial labour migration, particularly from Turkey. By 1971, around 50,000 people of Turkish origin lived in West Berlin, rising to almost 120,000 by 1981.[10] Many migrant workers subsequently settled permanently, while family reunification contributed to the growth of immigrant communities. Turkish settlement became concentrated in several inner-city districts, including Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Wedding.[11] Berlin has been described as having the largest Turkish community outside Turkey.[12]

East Berlin also received contract workers from other socialist states through the GDR's state-organised labour migration programmes. Workers from Vietnam became the largest group of contract workers in the GDR and were employed in considerable numbers in East Berlin.[13]

Migration after reunification

Following German reunification, Berlin received substantial numbers of Aussiedler and Spätaussiedler, particularly ethnic German resettlers and their family members from the former Soviet Union. From 1993, new arrivals in this category were officially designated Spätaussiedler.[14][15] Migration from the former Soviet Union also included Jewish immigrants and their relatives.[16]

Berlin also received substantial numbers of refugees from the Yugoslav Wars, particularly from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1996, around 32,000 Bosnian war refugees were recorded in Berlin.[17]

Berlin experienced another major migration wave during the European refugee crisis of 2015–2016. Over the two years, Berlin recorded a combined net migration gain from abroad of around 93,700 people, largely driven by the arrival of asylum seekers.[18] The largest net inflows during these two years were those from Syria (25,600), Afghanistan (8,100) and Iraq (6,600). The rapid increase in arrivals exceeded existing accommodation capacity, leading to the conversion of sports halls and other buildings, including the hangars of the former Tempelhof Airport, into emergency shelters.[19]

The migration wave also contributed to Berlin's development as an important centre of Arab cultural and intellectual life in Europe.[20]

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered another major migration wave to Berlin. About 50,000 Ukrainian refugees moved to the city in 2022 alone.[21] Migration from Ukraine continued in subsequent years, although at lower levels. By the end of 2025, 61,885 Ukrainian citizens lived in Berlin, making them the city's second-largest foreign citizenship group after Turkish citizens.[22]

According to estimates by the state government, Berlin's population is expected to grow to 4.006.000 inhabitants in the year 2040. The expected growth is entirely the result of domestic and international migration as deaths are forecast to exceed live births.[23]

Statistics

Chart showing Berlin's population fluctuations since 1880. The spike in population in 1920 is a result of the Greater Berlin Act.
Children in a fair in front of the Brandenburg Gate
Year Population
12501,200
13077,000
14008,500
157612,000
16009,000
16318,100
16486,000
16546,197
168517,500
169021,500
169822,400
170029,000
170955,000
171261,000
1750113,289
1775136,137
1800172,132
1825219,968
December 3, 1840 ¹322,626
December 3, 1846 ¹408,500
December 3, 1849 ¹418,733
Year Population
December 3, 1852 ¹426,600
December 3, 1855 ¹442,500
December 3, 1858 ¹463,600
December 3, 1861 ¹524,900
December 3, 1864 ¹632,700
December 3, 1867 ¹702,400
December 1, 1871 ¹826,341
December 1, 1875 ¹969,050
December 1, 1880 ¹1,122,330
December 1, 1885 ¹1,315,287
December 1, 1890 ¹1,578,794
December 2, 1895 ¹1,678,924
December 1, 1900 ¹1,888,848
December 1, 1905 ¹2,042,402
December 1, 1910 ¹2,071,257
December 1, 1916 ¹1,712,679
Year Population
December 5, 1917 ¹1,681,916
October 8, 1919 ¹1,902,509
June 16, 1925 ¹4,024,286
June 16, 1933 ¹4,242,501
May 17, 1939 ¹4,338,756
August 12, 1945 ¹2,807,405
October 29, 1946 ¹3,170,832
December 31, 19503,336,026
December 31, 19603,274,016
December 31, 19703,208,719
December 31, 19803,048,759
December 31, 19903,433,695
December 31, 20003,382,169
September 30, 20053,394,000
December 31, 20103,460,725
December 31, 20133,517,424
December 31, 20163,670,622

City size

Population density of the Berlin-Brandenburg metro region in 2015

Municipality

On 31 December 2015, the city-state of Berlin had a population of 3,520,031 registered inhabitants[24] in an area of 891.85 km2 (344.35 sq mi).[25] Berlin in 2009 was estimated to have another 100,000 to 250,000 non-registered inhabitants.[26] The city's population density was 4,048 inhabitants per km2. Berlin is the most populous city proper in the EU.

Urban area

The urban area of Berlin comprised about 4.1 million people in 2014 in an area of 1,347 km2 (520 sq mi), making it the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union.[27] The urban agglomeration of the metropolis was home to about 4.5 million in an area of 5,370 km2 (2,070 sq mi).

Metropolitan area

As of 2014, the functional urban area was home to about 5 million people in an area of approximately 15,000 km2 (5,792 sq mi).[28] The entire Berlin-Brandenburg capital region has a population of more than 6 million in an area of 30,370 km2 (11,726 sq mi).[29]

Population

Berlin population statistics are published using two different statistical bases. The official population figure (Bevölkerungsfortschreibung) is based on the census and is subsequently updated for births, deaths and migration. Separate population-register statistics (Einwohnerregisterstatistik) are based on residents registered with their main residence in Berlin and provide more detailed data for boroughs and smaller geographical areas.[30] At the end of 2025, the official population was 3,700,577, while the population register listed 3,913,644 residents with their main residence in the city.[31]

In 2025, Berlin recorded 33,230 births and 37,575 deaths, resulting in a natural population decrease of 4,345. This was the fourth consecutive year in which deaths exceeded births. The total fertility rate was 1.18 children per woman, the lowest since 2003.[32] Net migration of 19,699 more than offset the natural decrease, and the city's population grew by 0.4%.[33]

Boroughs

The following figures are based on Berlin's population register and refer to residents registered with their main residence in the city.

Demographic characteristics of Berlin's boroughs, 31 December 2025[34]
Borough Population Foreign nationals Migration background Largest groups by country of origin[a]
Mitte 397,879 36.9% 59.3% Turkey, Poland, Russia, India
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 292,789 30.6% 50.6% Turkey, Italy, Poland, US
Pankow 428,900 19.7% 31.2% Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Turkey
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 343,625 26.9% 47.3% Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, Russia
Spandau 261,266 27.0% 47.3% Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, Syria
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 309,338 17.7% 33.9% Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, US
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 358,835 23.4% 43.8% Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, Syria
Neukölln 331,623 28.8% 52.7% Turkey, Poland, Lebanon, Syria
Treptow-Köpenick 302,686 17.8% 27.7% Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Syria
Marzahn-Hellersdorf 296,687 20.2% 31.5% Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine, Romania
Lichtenberg 318,261 25.7% 38.6% Vietnam, Ukraine, Syria, Russia
Reinickendorf 271,755 23.1% 42.0% Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, Syria
Berlin 3,913,644 24.9% 42.3% Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, Russia
  1. ↑ The four largest groups among the selected countries of origin reported by the Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg for residents with a migration background. The published borough-level data do not include every country of origin.

Nationalities

Sons and daughters of U.S. embassy staff in 2013
Native population by district (2020)

As of December 2025, about 42.3% registered residents of Berlin had a migration background, compared with 29.9% in 2015. Out of that, 976,419 residents (24.9%) were foreign nationals and 678,774 (17.3%) were German citizens with a migration background.[35][36]

Berlin's foreign population is highly diverse, as 22 citizenship groups each numbered more than 10,000 registered residents.[37]

The share of residents with a migration background varied considerably between boroughs, ranging from 27.7% in Treptow-Köpenick to 59.3% in Mitte. It exceeded 50% in Mitte, Neukölln and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.[35]

Residents by citizenship, 31 December 2025[38]
Country of citizenship Population
Total registered residents 3,913,644
Germany Germany 2,937,225
Turkey Turkey 108,077
Ukraine Ukraine 75,867
Poland Poland 50,967
India India 48,111
Syria Syria 41,180
Russia Russia 35,644
Italy Italy 34,057
Bulgaria Bulgaria 31,442
Romania Romania 30,948
Vietnam Vietnam 30,830
Afghanistan Afghanistan 24,979
United States United States 21,276
Serbia Serbia 21,012
France France 19,053
China China 16,854
Spain Spain 15,867
United Kingdom United Kingdom 14,547
Greece Greece 14,158
Iran Iran 13,377
Croatia Croatia 13,131
Other foreign citizenships 292,068
Stateless, unclear or unspecified 22,974

Employment

In 2015, the total labour force in Berlin was 1.85 million. The unemployment rate reached a 24-year low in November 2015 and stood at 10.0%.[39] From 2012 to 2015 Berlin, as a German state, had the highest annual employment growth rate. Around 130,000 jobs were added in this period.[40]

Languages

Goethe Institut, German language academy, in Berlin Mitte
German

German is the official and predominant spoken language in Berlin. It is a West Germanic language that derives most of its vocabulary from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. German is one of 24 languages of the European Union,[41] and one of the three working languages of the European Commission.

Berlin dialect

Berlinerisch or Berlinisch is a variety of High German. It is spoken in Berlin and the surrounding metropolitan area. It originates from a Brandenburgish variant. The regiolect is now seen more as a sociolect, largely through increased immigration and trends among the educated population to speak standard German in everyday life.

International languages

The most commonly spoken foreign languages in Berlin are English, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Kurdish, Vietnamese, Serbian, Croatian, Greek, and other Asian languages.

Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Serbian and Croatian are heard more often in the western part, due to the large Middle Eastern and former-Yugoslavian communities; [42] English, Vietnamese, Russian, and Polish have more native speakers in eastern Berlin.[42]

Religions

Religions in Berlin (2010)
  1. Irreligious (60.1%)
  2. EKD Protestants (15.7%)
  3. Islam (11.4%)
  4. Catholicism (9.10%)
  5. Other Christian (2.70%)
  6. Other Religion (1.00%)

More than 60% of Berlin residents have no registered religious affiliation.[43] The largest denomination in 2010 was the Protestant regional church body – the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO) – a United church. EKBO is a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and Union Evangelischer Kirchen (UEK), and accounts for 18.7% of the local population.[44] The Roman Catholic Church has 9.1% of residents registered as its members.[44] About 2.7% of the population identify with other Christian denominations (mostly Eastern Orthodox, but also various Protestants).[45]

An estimated 300,000–420,000 Muslims reside in Berlin, making up about 8–11 percent of the population. 0.9% of Berliners belong to religions other than Christianity or Islam.[46] Of the estimated population of 30,000–45,000 Jewish residents,[47] approximately 12,000 are registered members of religious organizations.[45]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Berlins Bevölkerungszahl erreicht 3,7 Millionen" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  2. ↑ The four largest groups among the selected countries of origin reported by the Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg for residents with a migration background. The published borough-level data do not include every country of origin.
  3. ↑ Paris had a more populous agglomeration although the city proper was much smaller, cf. Paris#Media
  4. ↑ "Historische Bevölkerungszahlen Berlins" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Berlin in Zahlen: Bevölkerung" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Berlin". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Statistisches Bundesamt, ed. (1953). Statistische Berichte, Arb.-Nr. VIII/19/1. Die Zivilbevölkerung des Deutschen Reiches 1940-1945. Ergebnisse der Verbrauchergruppen-Statistik. Wiesbaden. pp. 13, 24.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ↑ Statistisches Bundesamt (ed.). Statistisches Jahrbuch für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland 1953 (in German). pp. XXXII, 41, 561.
  9. ↑ Statistisches Jahrbuch 2011 (PDF). 2011. p. 32. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Zeppenfeld, Stefan (22 September 2021). ""Die Mauer fiel uns auf den Kopf." Arbeitswelten von Türkeistämmigen und die Berliner Wiedervereinigung" (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  11. ↑ Luft, Stefan (3 November 2011). ""Gastarbeiter": Niederlassungsprozesse und regionale Verteilung" (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Ulku, Hulya (2012). "Remitting Behaviour of Turkish Migrants: Evidence from Household Data in Germany". Urban Studies. 49 (14): 3139–3158. doi:10.1177/0042098012437747.
  13. ↑ "Vertragsarbeiterinnen in der DDR" (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ethnic German resettlers". Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Panagiotidis, Jannis (14 October 2019). "Historischer Kontext: Deutsche in und aus Osteuropa" (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  16. ↑ Belkin, Dmitrij (13 July 2017). "Jüdische Kontingentflüchtlinge und Russlanddeutsche" (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Oltmer, Jochen (20 January 2023). ""Geduldet" und "rückgeführt": Schutzsuchende aus den postjugoslawischen Kriegen der 1990er-Jahre in Deutschland" (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Die Anziehungskraft Berlins – Wanderungsdaten aus dem Einwohnermelderegister" (PDF). Zeitschrift für amtliche Statistik Berlin Brandenburg (in German) (4). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg: 66–71. 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Cite error: The named reference AfS-migration-2015-16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ↑ "Berlin: Inside Europe's capital of Arab culture". Middle East Eye.
  21. ↑ "Bevölkerung wächst durch hohe Zuwanderung aus dem Ausland" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Berlins Bevölkerungszahl erreicht 3,7 Millionen" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Bevölkerungsprognose für Berlin 2024 bis 2040" (PDF). Berlin.de (in German). 4 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  24. ↑ "Einwohner am Ort der Hauptwohnung am 31. Dezember 2015". Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  25. ↑ "Berlin statistical figures". Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  26. ↑ Von Andrea Dernbach (23 February 2009). "Migration: Berlin will illegalen Einwanderern helfen – Deutschland – Politik – Tagesspiegel". Tagesspiegel.de. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  27. ↑ Demographia: World Urban Areas. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  28. ↑ Population on 1 January by age groups and sex – functional urban areas, Eurostat. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  29. ↑ (in German) Hauptstadtregion Berlin-Brandenburg
  30. ↑ "Wie viele Menschen leben in Berlin? Welche Quelle ist die richtige?" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Cite error: The named reference AfS-register-20252 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ↑ "Geburtenrückgang führt zu viertem Sterbeüberschuss in Folge" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  33. ↑ "Berlins Bevölkerungszahl erreicht 3,7 Millionen" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Einwohnerregisterstatistik Berlin 31. Dezember 2025: Bestand – Grunddaten" (PDF) (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. February 2026. pp. 10, 16–17. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  35. 1 2 "Einwohnerregisterstatistik Berlin 31. Dezember 2025: Bestand – Grunddaten" (PDF) (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. February 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Mehr Deutsche mit Migrationshintergrund" (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Einwohnerregisterstatistik Berlin 31. Dezember 2025: Bestand – Grunddaten" (PDF) (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. February 2026. pp. 18–22. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Einwohnerregisterstatistik Berlin 31. Dezember 2025: Bestand – Grunddaten" (PDF) (in German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. February 2026. pp. 18–22. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Berlin hat so wenig Arbeitslose wie seit 24 Jahren nicht" (in German). Berliner Zeitung. Archived from the original on 3 December 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  40. ↑ "In Berlin gibt es so viele Beschäftigte wie nie zuvor" (in German). Berliner Zeitung. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  41. ↑ European Commission. "Official Languages". Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  42. 1 2 Fahrun, Joachim (18 May 2010). "Studie – Zwei Millionen Berliner sprechen mindestens zwei Sprachen – Wirtschaft – Berliner Morgenpost – Berlin". Berliner Morgenpost - Berlin. Morgenpost.de. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  43. ↑ Connolly, Kate (26 April 2009). "Atheist Berlin to decide on religion's place in its schools". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  44. 1 2 Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland: Kirchenmitgliederzahlen am 31. Dezember 2010. EKD, 2011, (PDF; 0,45 MB) Retrieved, 10 Märch 2012.
  45. 1 2 Amt für Statistik Berlin Brandenburg: Die kleine Berlin-Statistik 2010. (PDF-Datei). Retrieved, 4 January 2011. Archived 4 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  46. ↑ "Statistisches Jahrbuch für Berlin 2010. Retrieved, 10 Märch 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  47. ↑ Mike Ross (1 November 2014). "In Germany, a Jewish community now thrives". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
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