You can see the 2020 populations of the German states in the table below. The states are ranked by population starting with the most populous state of Germany.
| German State | Population |
|---|---|
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 17,925,570 |
| Bavaria | 13,140,183 |
| Baden-Wuerttemberg | 11,103,043 |
| Lower Saxony | 8,003,421 |
| Hesse | 6,293,154 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 4,098,391 |
| Saxony | 4,056,941 |
| Berlin | 3,664,088 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 2,910,875 |
| Brandenburg | 2,531,071 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 2,180,684 |
| Thuringia | 2,120,237 |
| Hamburg | 1,852,478 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 1,610,774 |
| Saarland | 983,991 |
| Bremen | 680,130 |
| TOTAL GERMANY | 83,155,031 |
According to the population census made in 2020, the German population is 83,155,031.
Germany is the 19th most populous country in the world.
You can see Germany Population by States on the below map.
Static German States Population Map
Below is a static map showing all states in Germany. As you can see from the map, the most populous regions of Germany are in the western and southern part of the country.
Interactive Map
Below you can see an interactive version of the map. Click on the states to see the population of each state.
Interestingly, according to research, people in Germany who do not have a religious belief have a lower fertility rate than those who have a Christian religion.
According to The United Nations Population Fund, Germany is the country that receives the most immigrants after America. The immigrant population of the country is more than 16 million. Furthermore, the western region of the country and Berlin are home to 96.1% of the total immigrant population.
A majority of the immigrant population of the country constitutes the Turkish population. Since the 1960s, the country of Germany accept immigrants, most from Turkey after taking maximum migration from southern and Eastern Europe.
Now that we have a general knowledge of Germany, let’s look at the 3 states with the highest population a bit close, starting with Nordrhein-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany.
Nordrhein-Westphalia
Germany’s most populous state is North Rhine-Westphalia with a population of 17,925,570.
The state’s largest city is Cologne and its capital is Düsseldorf. The four largest cities in Germany – Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, and Essen – are located here.
North Rhine-Westphalia is also Germany’s fourth-largest state. It covers 34,085 km squares land area in total. In addition to these, Duesseldorf’s Koenigsallee (Koe), known as Germany’s largest shopping mall, is located here.
North Rhine-Westphalia hosts 6 major airports. These airports; Dortmund (DTM), Duesseldorf International (DUS), Cologne / Bonn (CGN), Muenster / Osnabruck (FMO), Paderborn / Lippstadt (PAD), and Weeze (NRN).
Bavaria
Bavaria, also known as Bayern, is Germany’s second most populous state. According to the population census made in 2020, the population of Bavaria is 13,140,183.
Bavaria is also the state with the largest territory of Germany with an area of 70,550 square kilometers. The capital of the state, Munich, is also Germany’s third-largest city.
Furthermore, the Bavaria region makes people feel privileged because they live here. The region has its own cultural characteristics. 52% of the people of the region have Catholic religion.
Furthermore, Bavaria hosts thousands of tourists each year with the Oktoberfest held in late September. Also, the Neuschwanstein castle in the Bayern region is one of the province’s biggest tourist attractions.
Baden-Württemberg
The third most populous state of the country is Baden-Württemberg, with a population of 11,103,043.
It is the capital of the state and the biggest city is Stuttgart.
The three largest immigrant communities in the state are Turkish, Italian and Roman. Cannstatter Wasen, the world’s second-largest beer festival after Oktober fest, is held in Stuttgart in the autumn. Furthermore, this festival is one of the region’s most popular tourist attractions.
Also Read: German States Map