Germany's projected population increase falls short of initial estimates
The latest census data reveals a lower population growth in Germany than initially projected. As per the 2022 Census results, Germany had roughly 82.7 million inhabitants on May 15, 2022, which is about 1.4 million fewer people than expected based on traditional population data, according to Ruth Brand, President of the Federal Statistical Office.
The census tallies the population in all 10,786 German municipalities. In 56% of these regions, there were at least a 1% decrease in the population on May 15, 2022.
The discrepancy was most noticeable in Cologne, where the census recorded a population decline of 5.6% compared to initial estimates. Despite this reduction, Cologne still retains its status as a million-inhabitant city, confirmed Thomas Gössl, President of the Bavarian State Office for Statistics.
The discrepancy between the official statistics and the census results nationwide seems to largely impact the foreign population. As per the 2022 Census, there were approximately 10.9 million foreign residents in Germany on May 15, 2022, roughly one million fewer than previously recorded. One possible cause for this could be that some foreigners failed to report their departure, such as when they're living abroad during retirement, explained Gössl.
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Despite the nationwide population decline, Germany remains one of the largest countries in Europe with a rounded population of around 82 million people. This reduced population growth could partly be attributed to underreporting within the foreign population, as suggested by Thomas Gössl.
