Population of Germany 1990-2023, by gender

There are more women than men in Germany, although the number of men has been slowly increasing in recent years, especially since 2015. In 2023, there were around 41.8 million males and 42.9 million females in Germany. 

Births and deaths

Globally, the death rate had been slowly decreasing until 2019 but there was a sharp spike in 2020 and 2021, which can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The general decline, however, is probably due to medical advancements which mean that many diseases are now treatable or curable, that were not 50 years ago. The birth rate has also been decreasing across the world, but it is lowest in Europe and North America.

Future challenges

There are a number of challenges facing the German population in the future. Some of the most pressing ones are the growing urban population and especially its ageing structure in combination with slow birth rates, which will put increased pressure on the pension system. Because of this trend, old age security and pensions are already today in the top ten most pressing political issues in Germany.