Citizen Count - Most people naturalized in the past two decades.
Recently, Germany has witnessed record-breaking naturalizations - a notable occurrence since the data collection began in 2000. The Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden revealed these astonishing figures, indicating a 19% surge when compared to the previous year. Notably, this growth follows a 28% increase in the preceding year. In absolute terms, about 200,100 foreign nationals became German citizens in 2023.
Residing in 157 distinct countries, the naturalized individuals hail from diverse backgrounds. Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Romania, and Afghanistan were the most popular nationalities with a cumulative share of more than 50% of all naturalizations.
Younger average age among naturalized persons
On average, the naturalized individuals were comparatively younger at 29.3 years, shedding light on a striking contrast with the general population. The share of women in their ranks stood at 45%, which was lower than the rest of the populace.
Syrians show rising trend in naturalizations
In the past, Syrians accounted for the largest demographic among the naturalized people, representing more than a third of the total. This trend persisted with a 56% increase compared to the previous year. Their numbers had already almost doubled the year before and increased sevenfold in 2021.
Emphasizing language skills and stay duration
“The high number of Syrian and Turkish naturalizations is attributed to the significant Syrian asylum seeker influx between 2014 and 2016. These individuals are now fulfilling the prerequisites for naturalization, particularly in language skills and minimum residency duration,” explained the statisticians.
Naturalizations of Iraqi citizens experienced a 57% hike, while the number of Turkish nationals recorded a 25% drop. There was an 8% increase in numbers for Romanians, while Afghans displayed a 55% enhancement.
Ukrainians see a 6% boost in naturalizations
Naturalizations of Ukrainian citizens rose by 6% to 5,900. This came after a near-tripling of the figures from 900 in 2021 to 5,600 in the wake of the Russian attacks. These naturalizations made up 3% of the overall count in 2023.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
Source: www.stern.de
