Official figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) show that in 2025, Germany saw a net migration gain of around 235,000 people (more arrivals than departures). However, this represents a significant 45% drop in net immigration compared to 2024, when the figure stood at 430,000.
Across the border, 1.48 million people arrived in Germany in 2025, while 1.25 million departed. This marks a 13% decrease in arrivals compared to the 1.69 million registred in 2024. Separately, the number of people leaving Germany decreased slightly by almost two percent year-on-year.
Part of the reason for the lower overall immigration is the reduced net flow from major asylum-seeking countries. The migration statistics recorded sharp declines in net migration from Syria (down 67%, from 75,000 to 25,000), Turkey (down 41%, from 41,000 to 24,000), and Afghanistan (down 41%, from 33,000 to 19,000). Furthermore, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees reported significantly fewer asylum applications from these nationalities in 2025. Net migration from Ukraine also saw a downturn, decreasing by 21% (from 121,000 to 96,000).
The declining net migration is also attributed to reduced migration from European Union member states. In 2025, Germany’s migration balance with the EU registered a deficit of 54,000 people (an increase in deficit compared to 34,000 in 2024). The most substantial year-on-year declines in the migration balance were seen in Poland (down 6,000), Bulgaria (down 3,000), and Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Italy (each down 2,000). Poland and Bulgaria were also Germany’s largest EU states contributing to a migration deficit in 2025, tallying -17,000 and -14,000 respectively.
Conversely, the Netherlands and Romania recorded small increases of 1,000 each. Italy registered the highest overall gain within the EU with a positive balance of 4,000. Looking at nationality of origin, arrivals from Asia contributed the most to net immigration (a balance of +158,000), followed by Europe (a balance of +85,000), and Africa (a balance of +54,000).
Statisticians also noted that German nationals have experienced a net outflow since 2005. In 2025, the loss of German citizens to other countries was higher than the previous year (2025: -97,000 people; 2024: -81,000 people). Switzerland, Austria, and Spain were the main destinations, accounting for departures of 23,000, 14,000, and 10,000 people, respectively.
Focusing on internal movement, 996,000 cross-border movements were recorded within the German states in 2025, a slight reduction of 8,000 (or 1%) from the previous year. Brandenburg recorded the highest migration surplus with 9,000 people, followed by Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein, both with a surplus of 8,000. The largest internal losses were suffered by Berlin (-12,000), Thuringia (-6,000), and North Rhine-Westphalia (-5,000).
