NUTS 3 areas of Germany by population

Name: NUTS 3 areas of Germany by population, 2018
Creator: Eurostat, European Commission
License: Eurostat reuse policy (commercial and non-commercial reuse, attribution required)

Berlin had the highest population of 400 areas in 2018, at 3.61 million. Zweibrücken, Kreisfreie Stadt had the lowest, at 34,270. The median was 155,529 and the figure for Germany was 82.79 million. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest3,613,495Berlin

Lowest34,270Zweibrücken, Kreisfreie Stadt

Median155,529400 areas

Germany82,792,351History

Top 40 areas, 2018

CSV Chart (SVG)

persons. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

Rank	Areas	2018 persons	Change on 2017
1	Berlin	3,613,495	+1.1%
2	Hamburg	1,830,584	+1.1%
3	München, Kreisfreie Stadt	1,456,039	-0.6%
4	Region Hannover	1,152,675	+0.3%
5	Köln, Kreisfreie Stadt	1,080,394	+0.4%
6	Frankfurt am Main, Kreisfreie Stadt	746,878	+1.4%
7	Stuttgart, Stadtkreis	632,743	+0.8%
8	Düsseldorf, Kreisfreie Stadt	617,280	+0.7%
9	Recklinghausen	616,824	-0.1%
10	Rhein-Sieg-Kreis	599,056	+0.2%
11	Dortmund, Kreisfreie Stadt	586,600	+0.1%
12	Essen, Kreisfreie Stadt	583,393	+0.1%
13	Leipzig, Kreisfreie Stadt	581,980	+1.9%
14	Bremen, Kreisfreie Stadt	568,006	+0.4%
15	Städteregion Aachen	554,068	+0.3%
16	Dresden, Kreisfreie Stadt	551,072	+0.7%
17	Rhein-Neckar-Kreis	546,745	+0.4%
18	Ludwigsburg	542,630	+0.9%
19	Esslingen	532,447	+0.7%
20	Nürnberg, Kreisfreie Stadt	515,201	+0.7%
21	Duisburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	498,110	-0.3%
22	Mettmann	485,409	+0.1%
23	Rhein-Erft-Kreis	467,209	+0.4%
24	Wesel	460,666	-0.2%
25	Rhein-Kreis Neuss	449,408	+0.4%
26	Steinfurt	446,565	+0.5%
27	Karlsruhe, Landkreis	442,673	+0.5%
28	Ortenaukreis	425,932	+0.6%
29	Rems-Murr-Kreis	424,878	+0.5%
30	Main-Kinzig-Kreis	418,208	+0.4%
31	Märkischer Kreis	413,383	-0.4%
32	Unna	393,934	0%
33	Böblingen	389,548	+0.9%
34	Borken	369,718	+0.1%
35	Bochum, Kreisfreie Stadt	365,529	+0.2%
36	Gütersloh	363,049	+0.3%
37	Osnabrück, Landkreis	356,140	+0.4%
38	Wuppertal, Kreisfreie Stadt	353,590	+0.3%
39	Offenbach, Landkreis	351,692	+0.5%
40	Lippe	349,069	0%
41	München, Landkreis	346,433	+0.9%
42	Heilbronn, Landkreis	340,772	+0.9%
43	Erzgebirgskreis	340,373	-1.1%
44	Bielefeld, Kreisfreie Stadt	332,552	-0.3%
45	Regionalverband Saarbrücken	330,150	+0.2%
46	Göttingen	328,036	+0.3%
47	Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt	325,490	+1%
48	Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis	324,670	-0.2%
49	Emsland	323,636	+0.7%
50	Zwickau	319,988	-0.7%
51	Münster, Kreisfreie Stadt	313,559	+0.5%
52	Pinneberg	312,662	+0.6%
53	Ostalbkreis	312,422	+0.3%
54	Karlsruhe, Stadtkreis	311,919	+0.6%
55	Kleve	311,270	+0.3%
56	Minden-Lübbecke	311,207	-0.2%
57	Mittelsachsen	308,153	-0.8%
58	Mannheim, Stadtkreis	307,997	+1.1%
59	Paderborn	305,362	+0.1%
60	Wetteraukreis	305,312	+0.5%
61	Bautzen	302,634	-0.7%
62	Soest	301,693	0%
63	Viersen	298,733	+0.1%
64	Darmstadt-Dieburg	296,048	+0.4%
65	Augsburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	292,851	+1.1%
66	Reutlingen	285,754	+0.6%
67	Konstanz	284,015	+0.6%
68	Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis	283,344	0%
69	Ravensburg	283,264	+0.6%
70	Wiesbaden, Kreisfreie Stadt	278,654	+0.4%
71	Siegen-Wittgenstein	277,977	0%
72	Warendorf	277,458	-0.1%
73	Hildesheim	276,640	-0.2%
74	Segeberg	274,025	+0.7%
75	Rendsburg-Eckernförde	273,022	+0.3%
76	Oberbergischer Kreis	272,968	-0.1%
77	Groß-Gerau	271,403	+0.9%
78	Bergstraße	268,780	+0.3%
79	Gießen, Landkreis	267,056	+0.5%
80	Düren	262,889	+0.3%
81	Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald	262,405	+0.8%
82	Mönchengladbach, Kreisfreie Stadt	262,188	+0.5%
83	Hochsauerlandkreis	261,591	-0.3%
84	Mecklenburgische Seenplatte	260,574	-0.5%
85	Gelsenkirchen, Kreisfreie Stadt	260,305	-0.8%
86	Rosenheim, Landkreis	259,449	+0.8%
87	Leipzig	258,008	-0.1%
88	Görlitz	256,587	-0.7%
89	Göppingen	256,345	+0.7%
90	Lahn-Dill-Kreis	254,164	0%
91	Heinsberg	253,106	+0.2%
92	Herford	251,539	+0.2%
93	Harburg	251,511	+0.5%
94	Augsburg, Landkreis	249,838	+0.9%
95	Braunschweig, Kreisfreie Stadt	248,023	-0.3%
96	Kiel, Kreisfreie Stadt	247,943	+0.2%
97	Chemnitz, Kreisfreie Stadt	246,855	+0.2%
98	Marburg-Biedenkopf	246,165	+0.5%
99	Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge	245,418	-0.3%
100	Meißen	242,862	-0.4%
101	Stormarn	242,472	+0.3%
102	Halle (Saale), Kreisfreie Stadt	239,173	+0.5%
103	Magdeburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	238,478	+0.1%
104	Vorpommern-Greifswald	237,066	-0.1%
105	Main-Taunus-Kreis	236,969	+0.5%
106	Kassel, Landkreis	236,674	-0.1%
107	Hochtaunuskreis	235,995	+0.4%
108	Rastatt	230,216	+0.6%
109	Freiburg im Breisgau, Stadtkreis	229,636	+0.9%
110	Vogtlandkreis	229,584	-0.6%
111	Lörrach	228,314	+0.3%
112	Krefeld, Kreisfreie Stadt	226,699	-0%
113	Tübingen, Landkreis	225,755	+0.5%
114	Vorpommern-Rügen	225,123	+0.1%
115	Fulda	221,783	+0.3%
116	Coesfeld	219,360	+0.2%
117	Fürstenfeldbruck	217,831	+0.4%
118	Lübeck, Kreisfreie Stadt	216,318	-0.2%
119	Harz	216,299	-1.5%
120	Diepholz	216,012	+0.4%
121	Mainz, Kreisfreie Stadt	215,110	+0.7%
122	Bodenseekreis	214,655	+0.7%
123	Landkreis Rostock	214,635	+0.3%
124	Mayen-Koblenz	213,554	+0.3%
125	Potsdam-Mittelmark	213,214	+0.5%
126	Erfurt, Kreisfreie Stadt	212,988	+0.9%
127	Ludwigslust-Parchim	212,522	-0%
128	Oberhausen, Kreisfreie Stadt	211,422	0%
129	Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis	211,207	+0.5%
130	Oberhavel	209,893	+0.6%
131	Mainz-Bingen	209,785	+0.3%
132	Rostock, Kreisfreie Stadt	208,409	+0.4%
133	Stade	201,887	+0.1%
134	Westerwaldkreis	201,039	0%
135	Kassel, Kreisfreie Stadt	200,736	+0.8%
136	Ostholstein	200,584	-0.1%
137	Schleswig-Flensburg	199,503	+0.4%
138	Enzkreis	198,369	+0.6%
139	Biberach	198,265	+1%
140	Cuxhaven	198,100	-0.3%
141	Nordsachsen	197,794	-0.1%
142	Herzogtum Lauenburg	196,074	+0.5%
143	Saarlouis	195,815	-0.4%
144	Alb-Donau-Kreis	194,629	+0.7%
145	Schwäbisch Hall	194,203	+0.6%
146	Märkisch-Oderland	192,921	+0.6%
147	Salzlandkreis	192,739	-0.9%
148	Regensburg, Landkreis	192,200	+0.9%
149	Euskirchen	192,127	+0.5%
150	Passau, Landkreis	190,504	+0.8%
151	Aurich	189,949	-0.1%
152	Zollernalbkreis	188,170	+0.4%
153	Hagen, Kreisfreie Stadt	187,730	-0.3%
154	Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis	186,602	+0.5%
155	Saalekreis	185,494	-0.2%
156	Ansbach, Landkreis	183,256	+0.6%
157	Lüneburg, Landkreis	182,930	+0.7%
158	Burgenlandkreis	181,968	-0.7%
159	Neuwied	181,655	+0.1%
160	Barnim	180,864	+0.8%
161	Schwalm-Eder-Kreis	180,754	-0.2%
162	Hamm, Kreisfreie Stadt	179,185	-0.2%
163	Celle	178,764	+0.2%
164	Oder-Spree	178,347	-0.3%
165	Freising	177,997	+1.2%
166	Traunstein	176,290	+0.5%
167	Potsdam, Kreisfreie Stadt	175,710	+2.3%
168	Gifhorn	175,079	+0.2%
169	Aschaffenburg, Landkreis	173,969	+0.3%
170	Börde	172,619	-0.2%
171	Neu-Ulm	172,546	+0.9%
172	Limburg-Weilburg	171,971	-0.1%
173	Mülheim an der Ruhr, Kreisfreie Stadt	171,265	+0.2%
174	Waldshut	170,198	+0.8%
175	Nürnberger Land	169,752	+0.5%
176	Leer	168,946	+0.4%
177	Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Kreisfreie Stadt	168,497	+1.1%
178	Cloppenburg	167,925	+1.2%
179	Dahme-Spreewald	167,319	+0.7%
180	Oldenburg (Oldenburg), Kreisfreie Stadt	167,081	+0.8%
181	Teltow-Fläming	166,890	+1.3%
182	Wartburgkreis	166,474	-0.5%
183	Nordfriesland	165,462	+0.3%
184	Emmendingen	164,712	+0.9%
185	Osnabrück, Kreisfreie Stadt	164,374	+0.2%
186	Leverkusen, Kreisfreie Stadt	163,577	+0.3%
187	Rotenburg (Wümme)	163,377	0%
188	Würzburg, Landkreis	161,340	+0.2%
189	Anhalt-Bitterfeld	161,264	-1.1%
190	Havelland	160,710	+0.6%
191	Heidelberg, Stadtkreis	160,601	+0.4%
192	Solingen, Kreisfreie Stadt	158,803	-0.1%
193	Darmstadt, Kreisfreie Stadt	158,254	+0.5%
194	Schaumburg	157,883	+0.2%
195	Bad Kreuznach	157,549	+0.1%
196	Calw	157,424	+0.9%
197	Waldeck-Frankenberg	157,256	-0.5%
198	Landshut, Landkreis	157,239	+1.2%
199	Nordwestmecklenburg	156,993	+0.1%
200	Herne, Kreisfreie Stadt	156,490	-0.2%
201	Oberallgäu	154,568	+0.5%
202	Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis	153,629	+0.4%
203	Dachau	152,703	+1.2%
204	Regensburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	150,894	+1.5%
205	Trier-Saarburg	148,532	+0.5%
206	Hameln-Pyrmont	148,296	0%
207	Bamberg, Landkreis	146,584	+0.4%
208	Schwandorf	146,487	+0.8%
209	Saarpfalz-Kreis	143,402	-0.5%
210	Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis	143,376	+0.1%
211	Unterallgäu	142,544	+1%
212	Höxter	141,565	-0.2%
213	Ebersberg	140,800	+1.3%
214	Vechta	140,540	+0.6%
215	Tuttlingen	139,397	+0.9%
216	Ostallgäu	139,278	+0.7%
217	Heidekreis	139,099	-0.4%
218	Rottweil	138,858	+0.4%
219	Mansfeld-Südharz	138,013	-1.3%
220	Goslar	137,563	-0.3%
221	Erding	136,884	+1.1%
222	Verden	136,590	+0.6%
223	Grafschaft Bentheim	135,859	+0.1%
224	Starnberg	135,545	+0.6%
225	Gotha	135,521	+0.1%
226	Erlangen-Höchstadt	135,334	+0.5%
227	Ingolstadt, Kreisfreie Stadt	135,244	+1.2%
228	Olpe	134,808	-0.1%
229	Weilheim-Schongau	134,252	+0.3%
230	Dithmarschen	133,447	-0.1%
231	Peine	133,368	+0.3%
232	Neunkirchen	133,297	-0.5%
233	Northeim	133,046	-0.4%
234	Donau-Ries	133,043	+0.6%
235	Bad Dürkheim	132,739	-0.2%
236	Neumarkt i. d. OPf.	132,644	+0.7%
237	Aichach-Friedberg	132,596	+0.9%
238	Main-Tauber-Kreis	132,189	-0.1%
239	Heidenheim	132,006	+0.4%
240	Eichstätt	131,646	+0.6%
241	Steinburg	131,613	-0.2%
242	Sigmaringen	130,192	-0.1%
243	Oldenburg, Landkreis	129,924	+0.3%
244	Ahrweiler	128,914	+0.4%
245	Plön	128,842	+0.1%
246	Altenkirchen (Westerwald)	128,791	-0.1%
247	Alzey-Worms	128,519	+0.3%
248	Miltenberg	128,484	-0%
249	Germersheim	128,477	+0.2%
250	Cham	127,339	+0.3%

Showing the top 250 of 400. The CSV download has every row.

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population. Spain and the EU: 1 January, with Spanish figures from the official municipal register (Padrón). United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July. Other countries and the World: World Bank mid-year estimates, which count all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

For Denmark, Statistics Denmark counts the registered resident population on 1 January. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are excluded. The annual series selects the first-quarter reference date from FOLK1A. The World Bank series exists for every country, so use it (through compare) to rank countries on one basis.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the areas are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Population on 1 January by NUTS 3 region (demo_r_pjanaggr3). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/demo_r_pjanaggr3/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank NUTS 3 areas of Germany by population using official data, and cite the source.

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Questions

Which area has the highest population?

Berlin, with 3.61 million in 2018, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which area has the lowest population?

Zweibrücken, Kreisfreie Stadt, with 34,270 in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Population on 1 January by NUTS 3 region (demo_r_pjanaggr3). Retrieved 2026-10-08.