Berlin, Germany Population

The city of Berlin in Germany is both the largest in area and in population in the country. Currently, Berlin is home to about 3.5 million people in the metropolitan area, and just slightly under that within the city proper. It is the fourth-most populated city in Europe and the 72nd in the world. Berlin is one of Germany’s sixteen federal states and is surrounded by the state of Bradenburg.

Berlin sits on the banks of the River Spree and the city has many lakes, forests, canals, and parks. It has a temperate climate and is a world-class city dedicated to culture, politics, media, and science.

A large population of foreign nationalities

Berlin has many foreign nationalities calling the city home. Some of the largest groups of foreign nationalities include citizens from Turkey (104,556) and Poland (40,988). There are people from over 190 different nations living in Berlin. Almost 21% of the population is foreign-born and there are around 777,000 foreigners registered as living in the city of Berlin at the end of 2019—with almost 33,000 added that year alone.

Berlin has also one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside of Vietnam, with almost 83,000 people of Vietnamese origin calling the city home. This makes up 1.16% of the population of the city. This community started during the 1980s when temporary contract workers came to East Berlin as part of a deal between the East German government and the Communist government of Vietnam. Many stayed in in Berlin after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, even though their legal residence statuses and jobs had been lost.

A high number of museums

If museums appeal to you, then Berlin is the place to be. There are 200 different museums in Berlin that cover everything from mechanical musical instruments to spies. One of Berlin’s more unique museums include the Museum of Stillness, which focuses on calming the mind and relaxing.

Berlin’s museums attract millions of visitors a year, with the most popular being the Topography of Terror. This memorial of the Nazi Documentation Centre allows visitors to find out about the extent of crimes committed by the Nazis and welcomes over 1.3 million visitors every year.

Religious makeup of Berlin

Less than half of Berlin’s population is religious, with only 37% of the residents of Berlin being part of a legally recognized church or religious organization. The largest religious denomination in the city was the Protestant church, with 18.7% of the population. There is 14% of the population that is part of the Evangelical Church and 8.5% that are members of the Catholic Church. There are also 249,000 Muslims in Berlin and, between 2009 and 2011; the population of Muslims in Berlin has almost doubled.

Unwilling to commit

Almost half of the city’s population lists themselves as being unmarried. This may seem like an abnormally high statistic, but much of it can be attributed to the simple fact that Berliners are unwilling to settle down. The city is known for its openness and access to casual hook-ups is readily available and not judged, which means that many romantic encounters turn out to be short-lived. Almost a third of the city’s population are single, while more than half live alone. This makes Berlin Germany’s singles capital.

Money in Berlin

The number of millionaires in Berlin has risen since 2016. At the beginning of 2019, there were 749 millionaires living in the city. In this case, they are defined as people who earn more 500,000 Euros per year. Berlin is still divided economically and there are over 430,000 people living in poverty in the city.