As of June 30, 2025, approximately 5.5 million people were employed in the public sector in Germany. According to data released on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), this figure represents a slight increase of 1,8 percent, adding 95,100 employees compared to the previous year. Consequently, roughly twelve percent of all working individuals in Germany were employed by state organizations in 2025. Significant growth was primarily observed in schools, universities, and daycare facilities.
The general and vocational schools form the largest employment area of the public service, with over one million employees in 2025. This count includes not only teachers but also municipal staff involved in school system administration. In comparison to the prior year, the number of school employees rose by 19,000, up 1.8 percent, reaching 1,069,600. Specifically, commissioned employees increased by 1,800 (0.5 percent) to 356,900, while civil servants (Beamte) grew by 17,200 (2.5 percent) to 712,700. For instance, in Berlin, the professionalization of existing teachers led to a substantial rise of civil servants in schools (+5,900), while the number of commissioned employees there decreased (-5,500).
Meanwhile, the steady increase in staffing at municipal daycare facilities continued. By the end of June 2025, 298,000 individuals were employed in these facilities, an increase of 7,500 or 2.6 percent over the previous year. Although this growth rate is lower than the average of 11,500 caregivers per year seen over the past five years, the overall trend is dramatically positive. Looking at the long term, the number of employees in these facilities has nearly doubled between 2010 and 2025, representing a 96 percent increase or an average annual growth of 4.6 percent.
