Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Germany
Germany: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 19,766 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
19,766 thousands
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
8th
of 233 countries
All-time high
19,766 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
10,590 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Germany, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Germany recorded 19,766 thousands for population aged 65 years or older in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Germany peaked at 19,766 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 10,590 thousands, in 1970.
Germany ranks 8th of 233 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Germany, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 10,590 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 10,780 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 10,997 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 11,208 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 11,412 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 11,611 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 11,745 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 11,863 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 12,042 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 12,168 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 12,265 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 12,164 thousands | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 11,893 thousands | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 11,587 thousands | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 11,293 thousands | -2.5% |
| 1985 | 11,244 thousands | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 11,386 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 11,525 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 11,652 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 11,721 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 11,794 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 11,907 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 12,026 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 12,170 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 12,353 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 12,536 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 12,723 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 12,846 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 12,941 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 13,023 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 13,298 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 13,631 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 13,990 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 14,349 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 14,749 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 15,241 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 15,705 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 16,152 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 16,354 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 16,557 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 16,662 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 16,585 thousands | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 16,602 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 16,797 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 16,937 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 17,173 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 17,387 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 17,596 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 17,796 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 17,969 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 18,176 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 18,361 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 18,691 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 19,078 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 19,459 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 19,766 thousands | +1.6% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 19,766 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 291.46 thousands, 67.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Germany's 19,766 thousands is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 974.42 thousands, 20.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11,442 thousands | 10,590 thousands | 12,168 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 11,673 thousands | 11,244 thousands | 12,265 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 12,432 thousands | 11,794 thousands | 13,023 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 15,002 thousands | 13,298 thousands | 16,557 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,150 thousands | 16,585 thousands | 17,969 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 18,922 thousands | 18,176 thousands | 19,766 thousands | 6 |
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 population aged 65 years or older in Germany?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Germany was 19,766 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 19,766 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,590 thousands in 1970.
- How does Germany rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Germany ranks 8th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release