Ukrainians push German population to record

Germany's population has hit a record high of more than 84 million people this year, driven mainly by an influx of Ukrainian refugees, the German Federal Statistical Office said on Tuesday.

Germany recorded net immigration of 750,000 people from Ukraine in the first half of 2022, according to the office, responsible for collecting information on German society, economy and the environment.

"The decisive factor for the current development is the influx of refugees from Ukraine as a result of the Russian war of aggression," the office said.

That influx pushed Germany's population growth to 1%, or about 843,000 people, in the first half of the year

By comparison, the German population grew by just 82,000 people, or 0.1%, in all of 2021.

Germany saw spikes during Middle East, Yugoslav wars  

Germany, now the European Union's most populous country, has seen growth on a scale comparable to this one only three times before since 1990.

Growth in population in each of the periods was linked to a wave of refugees.

In 1992, refugees from the war in former Yugoslavia helped swell the population by 700,000, and, in 2015, Germany became home for more than 1 million refugees from wars in the Middle East. 

According to the Statistical Office, Germany's female population grew by 1.2%, significantly more than its male population, which increased by 0.8%.

This means that more women and children fled the war in Ukraine, since men who could fight were not allowed to leave the country.

Even before an influx of refugees, Germany came around to become one of the most attractive destination for migrants as demand for labor grew.

One of the richest countries of the EU, Germany has one of the world's lowest fertility rates and one of the lowest number of young people living in the country.

rm/wd (AP, Reuters, dpa)

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