Migration drives up German population but Ukraine effect ebbs

This was lower than the levels seen in 2015, when war in the Middle East drove the figure up to 1.14 million, and in 2022, when it reached 1.46 million against the backdrop of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Germany's population rose by 300,000 over the course of 2023 to a new record of 84.7 million people, as net migration to the country compensated for its low birth rate and ageing population, the statistics office said on Thursday. The increase was in line with averages seen between 2012 and 2021, but considerably weaker than 2022, when hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees came to Germany seeking shelter.

Migration is a key topic in Germany currently, where the government has bolstered border controls and promised to speed up deportations, while also addressing the need for foreign workers with reforms easing access to citizenship. The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has surged to second place in opinion polls, seizing on migration as a key concern for voters.

The statistics office put net migration to Germany at between 680,000 and 710,000 people in 2023. This was lower than the levels seen in 2015, when war in the Middle East drove the figure up to 1.14 million, and in 2022, when it reached 1.46 million against the backdrop of Russia's war in Ukraine.