Natural population growth rate in Germany
Germany: Natural population growth rate was -0.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Natural population growth rate in Germany, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for natural population growth rate in Germany is -0.4%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.1% on the previous year and down 37.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, natural population growth rate in Germany peaked at 0.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, -0.4%, in 2022.
That places Germany 215th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Natural population growth rate in Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.7% | — |
| 1951 | 0.6% | -10.5% |
| 1952 | 0.6% | -10.8% |
| 1953 | 0.5% | -7.9% |
| 1954 | 0.5% | -3.2% |
| 1955 | 0.5% | -3.5% |
| 1956 | 0.5% | +2.3% |
| 1957 | 0.5% | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 0.5% | +3.3% |
| 1959 | 0.6% | +13.3% |
| 1960 | 0.6% | -4.6% |
| 1961 | 0.7% | +19.8% |
| 1962 | 0.6% | -7.9% |
| 1963 | 0.6% | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 0.6% | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 0.5% | -16.2% |
| 1966 | 0.5% | -2.7% |
| 1967 | 0.5% | -12.4% |
| 1968 | 0.3% | -36.6% |
| 1969 | 0.2% | -37.8% |
| 1970 | 0.1% | -51.0% |
| 1971 | 0.0% | -50.1% |
| 1972 | -0.1% | -308.8% |
| 1973 | -0.2% | +112.1% |
| 1974 | -0.2% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | -0.3% | +34.6% |
| 1976 | -0.2% | -15.4% |
| 1977 | -0.2% | -23.7% |
| 1978 | -0.2% | +16.2% |
| 1979 | -0.2% | -14.9% |
| 1980 | -0.1% | -29.8% |
| 1981 | -0.1% | +2.0% |
| 1982 | -0.1% | -10.7% |
| 1983 | -0.1% | +33.9% |
| 1984 | -0.1% | -7.2% |
| 1985 | -0.1% | +10.7% |
| 1986 | -0.1% | -32.4% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -60.6% |
| 1988 | -0.0% | -62.4% |
| 1989 | -0.0% | +95.3% |
| 1990 | -0.0% | -32.1% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | +375.4% |
| 1992 | -0.1% | -2.3% |
| 1993 | -0.1% | +26.4% |
| 1994 | -0.1% | +14.0% |
| 1995 | -0.1% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | -0.1% | -28.5% |
| 1997 | -0.0% | -49.0% |
| 1998 | -0.1% | +29.7% |
| 1999 | -0.1% | +49.6% |
| 2000 | -0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2001 | -0.1% | +26.4% |
| 2002 | -0.2% | +28.6% |
| 2003 | -0.2% | +18.6% |
| 2004 | -0.1% | -24.2% |
| 2005 | -0.2% | +26.2% |
| 2006 | -0.2% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | -0.2% | +10.5% |
| 2008 | -0.2% | +13.6% |
| 2009 | -0.2% | +15.4% |
| 2010 | -0.2% | -7.5% |
| 2011 | -0.2% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | -0.2% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | -0.3% | +15.0% |
| 2014 | -0.2% | -25.1% |
| 2015 | -0.2% | +19.2% |
| 2016 | -0.2% | -36.0% |
| 2017 | -0.2% | +19.4% |
| 2018 | -0.2% | +12.5% |
| 2019 | -0.2% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | -0.3% | +28.4% |
| 2021 | -0.2% | -25.3% |
| 2022 | -0.4% | +117.4% |
| 2023 | -0.4% | -11.1% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's -0.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%. (85 countries reporting)
- Germany's -0.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is -0.1%, 5.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Natural population growth rate in Germany changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -375.4% | -0.0% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | -308.8% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.1% | -0.3% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.1% | -0.1% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.1% | -0.1% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2% | -0.2% | -0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.2% | -0.3% | -0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.3% | -0.4% | -0.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More population data for Germany
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.8968 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1409 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 78,932 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1335 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3367 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 202.93 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.11 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is natural population growth rate in Germany?
- Natural population growth rate in Germany was -0.4% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest natural population growth rate recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest natural population growth rate recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.4% in 2022.
- How does Germany rank for natural population growth rate?
- Germany ranks 215th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is natural population growth rate rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Natural population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Births minus deaths, as a share of the population. This is the part of population change that comes only from births and deaths, ignoring migration.