Germany saw a marked decline in net migration last year, according to final results from the migration statistics published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) in Wiesbaden. In 2025, roughly 235,000 more people moved into the country than left it, a steep drop of 45 percent compared with the previous year, when net migration reached around 430,000. The latest total sits far beneath the record high of 1.462 million recorded in 2022.
Across German borders, 1.48 million arrivals and 1.25 million departures were registered during the year. Arrivals fell 13 percent against 2024, when about 1.69 million people moved in. Departures eased more gently, down roughly 2 percent from the previous year's 1.26 million.
A leading cause of the decline was weaker net migration from the main countries of origin for asylum seekers. Compared with 2024, the figures showed sharp falls from Syria, down 67 percent from 75,000 to 25,000, from Turkey, down 41 percent from 41,000 to 24,000, and from Afghanistan, also down 41 percent from 33,000 to 19,000. Asylum data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees showed considerably fewer applications from nationals of these countries.
Net migration from Ukraine fell again as well, down 21 percent from 121,000 to 96,000. People fleeing Ukraine do not file asylum applications; they receive temporary protection status under Section 24 of the Residence Act.
Continued decline in movement from within the European Union added to the trend. In 2025, Germany's migration balance with EU states stood at minus 54,000 people, widening from minus 34,000 a year earlier. The largest year-on-year reductions came from Poland, down 6,000, and Bulgaria, down 3,000, followed by Spain, Croatia, Greece and Italy, each down 2,000.
Poland and Bulgaria also posted the biggest overall deficits against Germany, at minus 17,000 and minus 14,000. By contrast, the Netherlands and Romania each improved by 1,000, while Italy delivered the strongest positive balance in the bloc at plus 4,000. By continent, arrivals from Asia contributed most to net migration with a surplus of 158,000, ahead of Europe at 85,000 and Africa at 54,000.
Among German nationals, the country has shown a net outflow since 2005, and that loss grew in 2025 to 97,000 people, up from 81,000 the year before. The leading destinations were Switzerland with 23,000 departures, Austria with 14,000, and Spain with 10,000.
Internally, around 996,000 moves across state borders were recorded, some 8,000 or 1 percent fewer than in 2024. Brandenburg posted the largest gain with a surplus of 9,000 people, followed by Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein, each at 8,000. Berlin recorded the heaviest loss at 12,000, ahead of Thuringia at 6,000 and North Rhine-Westphalia at 5,000.#
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