Germany population under age 18
Germany population under age 18 stood at 13,875,964 persons in 2025, according to Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). It is one of the indicators in the Population and demographic structure table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1990 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Population and demographic structure table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population at year-end | 83,467,117 | 83,577,140 | 83,456,045 | 83,118,501 | 83,237,124 | 83,155,031 | 83,166,711 | 83,019,213 | 82,792,351 | 82,521,653 | |
| Population under age 181 | 13,875,964 | 13,975,042 | 13,974,170 | 13,915,949 | 13,863,259 | 13,743,944 | 13,677,902 | 13,597,428 | 13,538,146 | 13,470,262 | |
| Population under age 16 | 12,302,265 | 12,389,352 | 12,420,368 | 12,387,842 | 12,346,953 | 12,222,018 | 12,148,082 | 12,043,166 | 11,931,997 | 11,823,429 |
Understanding germany population under age 18
Minors residing in the country form the entirety of this series, which covers every registered individual who has not reached their 18th birthday by year-end. In the table hierarchy, this cohort aggregates all childhood single-year tiers from birth through adolescence, defining the legally dependent youth populace. It stands in direct contrast to the adult cohort in the sibling row for persons aged 18 and over. Furthermore, it functions as the parent total encompassing narrower youth sub-brackets such as children under age sixteen and infants under age six. Registration criteria require primary domestic residence, excluding temporary visitors.
Interpreting changes over time requires following how birth cohorts enter at the base and age out upon reaching adulthood, alongside net family cross-border migration. Annual shifts equal newly registered infants joining the cohort, minus maturing adolescents celebrating their 18th birthday, plus net international migration of minor dependents. A common pitfall is treating movements in this aggregate as a pure reflection of domestic fertility, as cross-border inflows of families can alter youth numbers independently of domestic birth totals. When census reconciliations occur, municipal records of minor dependents are corrected, occasionally creating artificial level shifts between adjacent annual figures.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include individuals on their 18th birthday?
- No, the category is restricted to minors who have not yet reached age 18 on the reference date.
- How does this group differ from school-age demographic measures?
- This grouping is defined by legal majority at age 18 rather than schooling age brackets, which vary across regional education systems.
- Can cross-border migration cause this series to diverge from domestic birth trends?
- Yes, family migration and the arrival of unaccompanied minors alter the youth headcount independently of national birth tallies.