Young people
Share of the population aged 18 to 29, 31.12.2025
At the end of 2025, 10.9% of people in the eastern states were aged 18 to 29, against 13.4% in the West and 15.1% in Berlin. Every eastern state is below every western state. All 20 districts with the smallest share of young adults are in the East, led by Spree-Neiße (7.5%), Elbe-Elster (7.9%) and Greiz (8.2%). The highest shares are in Heidelberg (25.3%), Würzburg city (22.4%) and Münster (21.8%). In 1995 the eastern states had 14.8% in this age group, less than the West (16.4%).
Inner-German border 1949–1990 ·401 districts · 31.12.2025
Former West
13.4%
excl. Berlin
Former East
10.9%
excl. Berlin
Berlin
15.1%
Germany
13.1%
The East stands at 81% of the West's level (31.12.2025).
By state
- Bremen15.9%
- Hamburg15.8%
- Berlin15.1%
- Baden-Württemberg13.8%
- Hessen13.6%
- Nordrhein-Westfalen13.5%
- Bayern13.4%
- Niedersachsen13.0%
- Rheinland-Pfalz12.6%
- Schleswig-Holstein12.5%
- Saarland12.2%
- Sachsen11.8%
- Sachsen-Anhalt10.9%
- Thüringen10.9%
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern10.4%
- Brandenburg9.9%
31.12.2025
Then and now
Drag across the map to compare 31.12.1995 with 31.12.2025. Both maps share one colour key.
Former West
16.4%
excl. Berlin
Former East
14.8%
excl. Berlin
Berlin
16.5%
Germany
16.1%
The East stands at 90% of the West's level (31.12.1995).
Notes & caveats
- Share = residents aged 18 to under 30 (Destatis age groups 18–<20, 20–<25, 25–<30) ÷ all residents × 100 — our calculation from the published counts.
- East, West, Germany and state values are aggregated from the districts (Germany: 83,467,117 residents on 31.12.2025).
- Students are counted where they are registered as residents, which lifts university cities.
- Population on 31 December from the official population update (Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes), based on the 2022 census for 2025. The 1995 values rest on the 1987 census (West) and the GDR central population register of 3 October 1990 (East), so the two years are not strictly comparable.
- The 1995 comparison is shown by state only: district boundaries in the East have been redrawn several times since 1995.
- Hanau (06415) left the Main-Kinzig-Kreis on 1 January 2026; on 31.12.2025 it is still part of Main-Kinzig-Kreis (06435), whose value the map shows for both.
- Our check: the district figures add up exactly to the state populations Destatis publishes in table 12411-0010, for both 1995 and 2025.
Show the table
| State | Side | 31.12.2025 | 31.12.1995 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saarland | west | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Berlin | berlin | 15.1% | 16.5% |
| Brandenburg | east | 9.9% | 14.7% |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | east | 10.4% | 15.1% |
| Sachsen | east | 11.8% | 14.5% |
| Sachsen-Anhalt | east | 10.9% | 14.8% |
| Thüringen | east | 10.9% | 15.0% |
| Schleswig-Holstein | west | 12.5% | 16.5% |
| Hamburg | west | 15.8% | 17.4% |
| Niedersachsen | west | 13.0% | 16.5% |
| Bremen | west | 15.9% | 16.7% |
| Nordrhein-Westfalen | west | 13.5% | 16.1% |
| Hessen | west | 13.6% | 16.4% |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | west | 12.6% | 15.6% |
| Baden-Württemberg | west | 13.8% | 16.8% |
| Bayern | west | 13.4% | 16.6% |