Status: 10/14/2021 10:53 a.m.
The urban population in Germany did not grow in the 2020 pandemic for the first time since 2011. In some age groups, the change in immigration to large cities is particularly noticeable.
For the first time in years, major German cities stopped growing in the 2020 pandemic. At the end of last year, almost 24.5 million people lived in large cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants. According to the Federal Statistical Office, that was around 29.4 percent of the total population. This means that the growth in the urban population of 0.7 percent per year that has been observed since 2011 is not continuing. The number of people in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants even fell slightly by 0.1 percent compared to the previous year.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, they show noticeable changes for 2020. Both the moves within Germany, the so-called internal migration, as well as immigration and emigration from and abroad declined.
Fewer moves to major cities within Germany
In the area of internal migration, there were around 855,000 new arrivals and 965,000 departures in the Corona year 2020. In the previous year there were 933,000 new arrivals compared to 993,000 departures. In the whole of Germany, there were around five percent fewer arrivals and departures in 2020 than in the previous year. District-free cities experienced the highest population loss due to domestic moves since 2011, with a migration deficit of around 110,000 people.
Above all, the influx of 18 to 22-year-olds, i.e. at the typical age of training and starting their studies, in the big cities decreased. In view of the corona measures and closed lecture halls, they apparently suspended their move to shared apartments or student dormitories.
Less immigration from abroad
Since 2011, the population growth in urban districts has mainly been due to immigration from abroad. Last year, the number of immigrants from abroad was around 452,000 and the number of emigrants abroad was 361,000. Compared to 2019, net immigration from outside fell from 148,000 to around 91,000. Above all, fewer 18- to 35-year-olds came from abroad.
Is 2020 an exceptional year?
When asked whether 2020 will be an exceptional year and whether urban districts will grow again in the future, demographic aspects must also be taken into account, explains the Federal Statistical Office. Young people in particular between the ages of 18 and their late twenties are increasingly moving to urban districts. However, due to demographic change, this group is getting smaller and smaller.
In 2020, the number of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 fell by 2.3 percent, while the population as a whole remained almost constant. Against the background of demographic change, the decisive factor for population growth in urban districts is how immigration from abroad will develop in the coming years, according to the Federal Statistical Office.