Population in the largest city in Germany
Germany: Population in the largest city was 5.2% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
5.2%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
152nd
of 153 countries
All-time high
5.9%
in 1960
All-time low
4.9%
in 1982
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in the largest city in Germany, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Germany stood at 5.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Germany peaked at 5.9% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 4.9%, in 1982.
That places Germany 152nd out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Population in the largest city in Germany, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.9% | — |
| 1961 | 5.8% | -1.6% |
| 1962 | 5.7% | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 5.6% | -1.8% |
| 1964 | 5.5% | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 5.4% | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 5.4% | -1.6% |
| 1967 | 5.3% | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 5.2% | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 5.2% | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 5.1% | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 5.1% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 5.1% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 5.0% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 5.0% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 5.0% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 5.0% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 5.0% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 4.9% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 4.9% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 4.9% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 4.9% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 4.9% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 4.9% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4.9% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 4.9% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 5.0% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 5.3% | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 5.2% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 5.4% | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 5.4% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 5.4% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 5.4% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 5.3% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 5.3% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 5.3% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 5.2% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 5.2% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 5.2% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 5.1% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 5.1% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 5.1% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 5.1% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 5.1% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 5.2% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 5.4% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 5.4% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 5.4% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 5.3% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 5.3% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 5.3% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 5.2% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 5.2% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.0% | 4.9% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.0% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More urban development data for Germany
- Population density 238.35 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.0972 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 8.11 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.1772 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 23.13 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.58 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 58.06 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 1,834 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Germany?
- Population in the largest city in Germany was 5.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1960.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.9% in 1982.
- How does Germany rank for population in the largest city?
- Germany ranks 152nd out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.