Every fourth person living in Germany has a migrant background, either directly or through both parents show newly issued statistics. Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Syrian, and Russian nationals alone make more than 6.5 million on the list and are the top contributors (these 5 alone account for 39% of all immigrants in the country).
This clearly shows that Germany continues to evolve, shaped in part by people who have come from elsewhere or whose families once did. The latest figures from 2025 from destatis.de offer a clear and thoughtful picture of how migration is influencing the country’s population.
A Growing Share of People with Migration Background
Overall, in 2025, around 21.8 million people in Germany had a migration background. This means more than one in four residents (26.3%) either moved to Germany themselves or were born to parents who immigrated after 1950.
This share has grown steadily, rising slightly from 25.8% in 2024. While the increase may seem modest, it reflects a long-term trend that continues to shape the country’s social and economic landscape.
Immigrants in Germany: Trends
Out of the total population, 16.4 million people are immigrants, making up 19.8% of all residents. However, growth has slowed. In 2025, the number of immigrants increased by 1.7% (281,000 people), a noticeable drop compared to earlier years.
Between 2021 and 2024, immigration had been rising much faster, with an average yearly increase of over 6%. On the other hand, a significant portion of immigrants comes from just a few countries. The table below shows the largest groups:
| Country of Origin | Number of People |
| Poland | 1.5 million |
| Turkey | 1.5 million |
| Ukraine | 1.3 million |
| Russia | 1.0 million |
| Syria | 1.0 million |
Together, these five countries account for 39% of all immigrants in Germany.
The Second Generation and Beyond
Not all people with migration ties were born abroad. In 2025, about 5.4 million people (6.5%) were born in Germany to two immigrant parents. Their numbers continue to grow, increasing by 3% compared to 2024.
Furthermore, at the same time, 4.2 million people were born in Germany with only one immigrant parent. Interestingly, this group is not counted as having a migration background under the official definition.
Meanwhile, the number of people without any migration history stood at 56.8 million, making up 68.6% of the population, a slight decline from the previous year.
Long-Term Growth Since 2005
Looking back over two decades, the change is quite striking. In 2005, Germany had 13 million people with a migration background. By 2025, that number had grown to 21.8 million, an increase of 67%. This growth has played a key role in stabilising the population. Without it, Germany would have experienced a much sharper population decline.
A Younger Population
One notable feature of people with a migration background is their age. They tend to be younger than the general population.
- 36% of people aged 25–34 have a migration background
- Only 14% of those over 65 fall into this group
On average, people with a migration background are about nine years younger than those without one. This younger age structure is important for the workforce and future economic stability.
Education and Skills
Among young immigrants aged 25 to 34, educational levels vary widely.
- 33% hold a university degree, almost the same as the national average
- 36% have no formal vocational qualification and are not in education or training
- Only 27% have completed vocational training, compared to 46% in the general population
This contrast highlights both the potential and the challenges. While many young immigrants are well-educated, a significant number still face barriers to entering skilled employment.
Expert Opinion
We acquired more information from a Germany-based immigration expert, “Umer Rasib”, for the reasons of these increasing numbers, he explained it all as follows:
“Germany’s population is gradually becoming more diverse, and migration remains an important factor in shaping its future. While growth has slowed in recent years, the long-term trend is clear: migration is not just a temporary phase, but a lasting part of the country’s story.
The influx of Polish nationals is important as they are a neighbouring country of Germany, and a lot of heavy-duty drivers have been able to secure jobs here. Some of them even first do unskilled jobs, pay taxes, and after passing a year here, apply for the costs of the heavy-duty driving license to “Federal Organisation for Work”, as it falls under “Fackkraft” skilled work in Germany. Family comes along, so the numbers have significantly increased.
Turkish people who came as guest workers after World War II have a family-based increase in numbers, which is quite obvious, as Indians and Pakistanis are in the UK. Ukrainian nationals emerged in high numbers after leaving Ukraine due to the war with Russia. Russians themselves make up a big diaspora in Germany with not less than a million. Syrians, as we all know, are a part of the German society as well, after the 2015 crisis, when they were warmly welcomed in the federal country. Now they are facing huge impacts of remigration due to the newly announced asylum policies.
Pakistanis, Indians, and Chinese nationals are also considered to be an increasing population in Germany over time. We would surely see Indian nationals surpassing many other nationals of countries in the time period of 5 years. They are now able to secure most student quotas and have become an essential part of the IT and Science industries here.
Due to naturalisation laws that were introduced back in June 2024 by the Traffic Light coalition, foreigners can now acquire German citizenship only after a legal stay of 5 years. Pay the tax/national insurance for 60 months, pass the German language test at CEFR B1 level, secure 17 out of 33 points in the life in Germany test, have a clean criminal record, and here you go to secure German nationality with ease (processing times vary by city).
This one factor, the citizenship boom, alone is good enough to increase the number of immigrants in Germany in the next five years. Alone in 2024, 291,955 foreigners secured German citizenship. In 2025, the numbers may well have surpassed 350,000 (statistics are yet to be announced). Statistics in 2030 might well be shocking as the immigration background of German population may get it to 35% to 38% till then.
However, it all depends upon the future policies of the federal government. Friedrich Merz himself wanted to bring back the citizenship law to 8 years, where it originally was. More will also depend on the most famous party in Germany, AfD. Their policies reportedly will be stricter than CDU and CSU once they come into power in the 2029 elections”.