Germany’s Youth Population Drops to Record Low
(MENAFN) Germany’s population aged 15 to 24 dropped to a record low of just 10% by the end of 2024, reveals the latest data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The agency credited migration and refugee inflows with preventing a further decline in the country’s youth demographic.
This unprecedented low figure was detailed in a factsheet released ahead of International Youth Day on August 12. Since 2021, the proportion of young people in Germany has remained steady around 10%, marking a halt to the previous downward trend, the FSO reported.
“The fact that it has not fallen further since then but has stabilized is mainly due to the immigration of predominantly young people following Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022,” the agency explained.
Among the youth population, only 8.6% are without any immigration background. The largest group, 20.7%, consists of individuals born in Germany to parents who both immigrated.
Regional disparities are stark, with Eastern German states like Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Saxony-Anhalt registering the lowest youth share, just under 9%. In contrast, western city-states Bremen and Hamburg, along with Baden-Württemberg in the southwest, have the highest concentrations of 15-24-year-olds, though even these peak slightly above 11%.
The ongoing demographic decline is exacerbating economic challenges. Andrea Nahles, head of the Federal Employment Agency, warned, “The skilled labor shortage remains a major challenge for Germany as a business location.”
Economic data further underscores the urgency: over the past year, Germany’s industrial sector shed more than 100,000 jobs and is projected to lose another 70,000 by the end of 2025, according to consultancy EY’s June analysis. The auto industry bore the brunt, accounting for approximately 45,400 net job losses, making it the hardest-hit segment.
The shrinking youth population, combined with labor market contractions, signals mounting pressures on Germany’s economic future.
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