According to data released Tuesday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), approximately 474,700 individuals were recorded as being housed due to homelessness as of January 31, 2025. This figure represents an eight percent increase compared to the 439,500 individuals registered in 2024. Officials attribute this rise primarily to enhancements in data reporting within the four years since the statistic was introduced.
These statistics encompass individuals lacking stable housing, including those residing in temporary accommodation, communal shelters, or facilities dedicated to individuals experiencing homelessness. The data excludes those living unsheltered on the streets, as well as those in concealed homelessness situations, such as staying with acquaintances or relatives. A separate, bi-annual report conducted by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building Construction addresses these broader populations.
While refugees from Ukraine remain the largest demographic group within the statistics, accounting for 29 percent (approximately 137,800 individuals, a slight increase from 136,900 in 2024), the rate of increase has slowed compared to prior years. Overall, 409,000 individuals with foreign citizenship were registered, up from 377,900 in 2024, maintaining a proportion of 86 percent of all housed individuals. Those with German citizenship numbered 65,700 (61,500 in 2024), representing approximately 14 percent of the total.
A significant 41 percent of those registered were under the age of 25, a slight increase from 40 percent in 2024. The proportion of individuals aged 65 and over remained consistent at approximately five percent. The average age of those housed at the January 31, 2025, reporting date was 31 years. Of those housed, 56 percent were men and 42 percent were women. Two percent of cases indicate an unknown gender.
The individuals experiencing homelessness are distributed across various household configurations. Those living in partnered households with children comprise the largest group, numbering 163,400 individuals, representing more than 34 percent of the total. Almost as many individuals (159,800 or nearly 34 percent) are single. Nearly 17 percent (79,000 individuals) are single parents, followed by other multi-person households (7 percent, or 33,400 individuals) and partnered households without children (4 percent, or 17,300 individuals). For 21,800 people (approximately 4 percent), the household type was categorized as unknown.
Geographically, North Rhine-Westphalia reported the highest number of individuals housed due to homelessness, totaling 117,900. Baden-Württemberg followed with 94,600 individuals and Berlin with 53,600. The fewest individuals experiencing homelessness were reported in Thuringia (3,000), Saxony-Anhalt (1,200) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (700).
