States of Germany: population and official figures
Germany is divided into 16 states. The largest by population is North Rhine-Westphalia with 18,034,454 people (21.6% of the total); the smallest is Bremen with 704,881. Each page sets the region's economy, jobs, incomes, poverty, health and education figures from Eurostat beside the national and EU figures.
Who governs Germany's states?
Länder (16, including the city-states Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen): Elected parliaments and governments. Make the municipal codes (Gemeindeordnungen), supervise municipalities, run police and schools policy.
How local power works in Germany · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 16 states, largest first
| # | State | Population | Year | GDP per person (PPS) | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 18,034,454 | 2025 | 43,500 | 4.2% |
| 2 | Bavaria | 13,248,928 | 2025 | 54,000 | 3.0% |
| 3 | Baden-Württemberg | 11,245,898 | 2025 | 52,200 | 3.3% |
| 4 | Lower Saxony | 8,004,489 | 2025 | 42,900 | 3.5% |
| 5 | Hesse | 6,280,793 | 2025 | 52,900 | 3.4% |
| 6 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 4,129,569 | 2025 | 40,100 | 3.4% |
| 7 | Saxony | 4,042,422 | 2025 | 35,900 | 4.8% |
| 8 | Berlin | 3,685,265 | 2025 | 50,600 | 6.5% |
| 9 | Schleswig-Holstein | 2,959,517 | 2025 | 38,600 | 3.7% |
| 10 | Brandenburg | 2,556,747 | 2025 | 34,300 | 3.8% |
| 11 | Saxony-Anhalt | 2,135,597 | 2025 | 33,300 | 4.9% |
| 12 | Thuringia | 2,100,277 | 2025 | 33,200 | 3.7% |
| 13 | Hamburg | 1,862,565 | 2025 | 78,300 | 5.3% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 1,573,597 | 2025 | 35,000 | 3.5% |
| 15 | Saarland | 1,012,141 | 2025 | 37,800 | 4.1% |
| 16 | Bremen | 704,881 | 2025 | 52,700 | 5.1% |
Cities: the largest cities of Germany.
More on Germany: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d2jan: Population on 1 January, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1572e74fa245…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec: Live births, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6a1490d549d5…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_magec: Deaths, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d4821a589633…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_peps11n: At risk of poverty or social exclusion, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94dcf245d20e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_broad_h: Households with broadband, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b02c9a1ef222…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.