Berlin, Germany Population

Population in Urban Area, now

3,572,068
  • World: 136th
  • Europe: 8th
  • Germany: 1st

Population in City Area, 2022-03-09

3,426,354
  • World: 76th
  • Europe: 4th
  • Germany: 1st

Berlin Urban Area Population Graph

Berlin Population Review

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.

Review Updated: October 12, 2020

Berlin Urban Area Population History

1950 3,338,000
1951 3,330,000
1952 3,322,000
1953 3,314,000
1954 3,306,000
1955 3,299,000
1956 3,291,000
1957 3,283,000
1958 3,275,000
1959 3,268,000
1960 3,260,000
1961 3,252,000
1962 3,247,000
1963 3,242,000
1964 3,237,000
1965 3,232,000
1966 3,227,000
1967 3,222,000
1968 3,217,000
1969 3,212,000
1970 3,206,000
1971 3,191,000
1972 3,176,000
1973 3,160,000
1974 3,145,000
1975 3,130,000
1976 3,115,000
1977 3,100,000
1978 3,086,000
1979 3,071,000
1980 3,056,000
1981 3,052,000
1982 3,048,000
1983 3,041,000
1984 3,043,000
1985 3,060,000
1986 3,095,000
1987 3,273,000
1988 3,254,000
1989 3,381,000
1990 3,422,000
1991 3,440,000
1992 3,456,000
1993 3,471,000
1994 3,474,000
1995 3,471,000
1996 3,463,000
1997 3,442,000
1998 3,412,000
1999 3,393,000
2000 3,384,000
2001 3,388,000
2002 3,391,000
2003 3,390,000
2004 3,388,000
2005 3,391,000
2006 3,401,000
2007 3,413,000
2008 3,426,000
2009 3,438,000
2010 3,450,000
2011 3,463,000
2012 3,476,000
2013 3,488,000
2014 3,501,000
2015 3,514,000
2016 3,526,000
2017 3,539,000
2018 3,552,000
2019 3,557,000
2020 3,562,000
2021 3,567,000
2022 3,571,000
2023 3,574,000
2024 3,577,000

Berlin Urban Area Population Projections

2025 3,580,000
2026 3,584,000
2027 3,589,000
2028 3,594,000
2029 3,600,000
2030 3,606,000
2031 3,612,000
2032 3,619,000
2033 3,625,000
2034 3,632,000
2035 3,639,000

Map of Berlin, Germany

All Biggest Cities in Germany