Politics

Voter turnout

Turnout at the Bundestag election, 2025

83.1% of eligible voters in the former West voted in 2025, against 80.3% in the East. The gap narrowed from 3.4 points in 2021 to 2.8 points.

< 77.4%77.4%79.4%81.4%83.4%≥ 85.4%

Inner-German border 1949–1990 ·401 districts · 2025

Former West

83.1%

excl. Berlin

Former East

80.3%

excl. Berlin

East Berlin

81.3%

West Berlin

79.6%

Germany

82.5%

The East stands at 97% of the West's level (2025).

By state

Former WestFormer EastBerlin
  1. Bayern84.3%
  2. Schleswig-Holstein83.5%
  3. Niedersachsen83.4%
  4. Baden-Württemberg83.4%
  5. Hessen83.1%
  6. Rheinland-Pfalz83.0%
  7. Saarland82.4%
  8. Nordrhein-Westfalen82.2%
  9. Brandenburg81.6%
  10. Sachsen81.1%
  11. Hamburg80.9%
  12. Thüringen80.7%
  13. Berlin80.3%
  14. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern79.5%
  15. Bremen77.8%
  16. Sachsen-Anhalt77.7%

2025

Then and now

Drag across the map to compare 2021 with 2025. Both maps share one colour key.

20212025
< 70.8%≥ 70.8%≥ 74.0%≥ 77.2%≥ 80.3%≥ 83.5%

Former West

77.2%

excl. Berlin

Former East

73.8%

excl. Berlin

East Berlin

68.5%

West Berlin

70.2%

Germany

76.4%

The East stands at 96% of the West's level (2021).

Notes & caveats

  • Berlin is shown as one unit on the map; the Federal Returning Officer publishes East and West Berlin separately, shown in the figures.
  • 2021 figures include the partial re-run of the election in Berlin on 11 February 2024.
  • Berlin's 2021 turnout is lower than on election day because the file counts the much lower turnout of the 2024 partial re-run in the affected precincts.
Show the table
StateSide20252021
Saarlandwest82.4%77.3%
Berlinberlin80.3%69.5%
Brandenburgeast81.6%75.6%
Mecklenburg-Vorpommerneast79.5%71.1%
Sachseneast81.1%76.5%
Sachsen-Anhalteast77.7%67.9%
Thüringeneast80.7%74.9%
Schleswig-Holsteinwest83.5%78.2%
Hamburgwest80.9%77.8%
Niedersachsenwest83.4%74.7%
Bremenwest77.8%71.9%
Nordrhein-Westfalenwest82.2%76.4%
Hessenwest83.1%76.2%
Rheinland-Pfalzwest83.0%77.2%
Baden-Württembergwest83.4%77.8%
Bayernwest84.3%79.9%