NUTS 3 areas of Germany by population

Name: NUTS 3 areas of Germany by population, 2022
Creator: Eurostat, European Commission
License: Eurostat reuse policy (commercial and non-commercial reuse, attribution required)

Berlin had the highest population of 400 areas in 2022, at 3.68 million. Zweibrücken, Kreisfreie Stadt had the lowest, at 34,091. The median was 156,207 and the figure for Germany was 83.24 million. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest3,677,472Berlin

Lowest34,091Zweibrücken, Kreisfreie Stadt

Median156,207400 areas

Germany83,237,124History

Top 40 areas, 2022

CSV Chart (SVG)

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

Full ranking

Rank	Areas	2022 persons	Change on 2021
1	Berlin	3,677,472	+0.4%
2	Hamburg	1,853,935	+0.1%
3	München, Kreisfreie Stadt	1,487,708	-0%
4	Region Hannover	1,157,541	+0.2%
5	Köln, Kreisfreie Stadt	1,073,096	-1%
6	Frankfurt am Main, Kreisfreie Stadt	759,224	-0.6%
7	Stuttgart, Stadtkreis	626,275	-0.6%
8	Düsseldorf, Kreisfreie Stadt	619,477	-0.2%
9	Recklinghausen	612,801	-0.1%
10	Leipzig, Kreisfreie Stadt	601,866	+0.7%
11	Rhein-Sieg-Kreis	600,732	+0.1%
12	Dortmund, Kreisfreie Stadt	586,852	-0.1%
13	Essen, Kreisfreie Stadt	579,432	-0.5%
14	Bremen, Kreisfreie Stadt	563,290	-0.6%
15	Städteregion Aachen	556,673	0%
16	Dresden, Kreisfreie Stadt	555,351	-0.2%
17	Rhein-Neckar-Kreis	549,030	+0.1%
18	Ludwigsburg	544,679	-0.1%
19	Esslingen	533,388	-0%
20	Nürnberg, Kreisfreie Stadt	510,632	-1%
21	Duisburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	495,152	-0.1%
22	Mettmann	484,411	0%
23	Rhein-Erft-Kreis	471,891	+0.5%
24	Wesel	460,433	+0.1%
25	Rhein-Kreis Neuss	452,496	+0.1%
26	Steinfurt	450,176	+0.4%
27	Karlsruhe, Landkreis	448,487	+0.4%
28	Ortenaukreis	434,535	+0.5%
29	Rems-Murr-Kreis	427,316	0%
30	Main-Kinzig-Kreis	423,465	+0.4%
31	Märkischer Kreis	406,793	-0.5%
32	Böblingen	393,195	+0.1%
33	Unna	393,063	-0.1%
34	Borken	373,582	+0.5%
35	Gütersloh	366,104	+0.4%
36	Bochum, Kreisfreie Stadt	363,441	-0.3%
37	Osnabrück, Landkreis	361,550	+0.6%
38	Offenbach, Landkreis	357,466	+0.3%
39	Wuppertal, Kreisfreie Stadt	354,572	-0.1%
40	München, Landkreis	349,837	0%
41	Heilbronn, Landkreis	347,798	+0.4%
42	Lippe	346,151	-0.2%
43	Bielefeld, Kreisfreie Stadt	334,002	+0.1%
44	Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt	331,885	+0.4%
45	Emsland	331,397	+0.8%
46	Erzgebirgskreis	328,695	-1%
47	Regionalverband Saarbrücken	327,284	-0.1%
48	Göttingen	323,661	-0.1%
49	Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis	322,143	-0.3%
50	Pinneberg	318,326	+0.4%
51	Münster, Kreisfreie Stadt	317,713	+0.4%
52	Ostalbkreis	315,009	+0.2%
53	Kleve	314,676	+0.3%
54	Mannheim, Stadtkreis	311,831	+0.7%
55	Wetteraukreis	311,661	+0.4%
56	Minden-Lübbecke	311,214	+0.3%
57	Zwickau	309,621	-0.8%
58	Paderborn	309,380	+0.3%
59	Karlsruhe, Stadtkreis	306,502	-0.6%
60	Soest	302,298	+0.4%
61	Mittelsachsen	299,329	-0.7%
62	Viersen	298,761	+0.1%
63	Darmstadt-Dieburg	296,900	-0.3%
64	Augsburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	296,478	+0.2%
65	Bautzen	296,290	-0.6%
66	Reutlingen	288,158	+0.2%
67	Konstanz	288,097	+0.4%
68	Ravensburg	287,011	+0.4%
69	Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis	283,429	+0.1%
70	Segeberg	280,400	+0.9%
71	Wiesbaden, Kreisfreie Stadt	278,950	+0.1%
72	Warendorf	278,176	+0.3%
73	Groß-Gerau	276,307	+0.2%
74	Rendsburg-Eckernförde	276,053	+0.5%
75	Hildesheim	274,773	-0.3%
76	Siegen-Wittgenstein	274,342	-0.4%
77	Gießen, Landkreis	272,874	+0.4%
78	Oberbergischer Kreis	271,621	-0%
79	Bergstraße	271,166	+0.1%
80	Düren	266,771	+0.6%
81	Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald	265,792	+0.3%
82	Rosenheim, Landkreis	263,367	+0.6%
83	Mönchengladbach, Kreisfreie Stadt	261,001	+0.5%
84	Gelsenkirchen, Kreisfreie Stadt	260,126	+0.4%
85	Göppingen	259,046	+0.1%
86	Hochsauerlandkreis	258,615	-0.2%
87	Heinsberg	258,306	+0.7%
88	Leipzig	258,214	-0.1%
89	Augsburg, Landkreis	257,790	+0.7%
90	Harburg	257,548	+0.6%
91	Mecklenburgische Seenplatte	257,525	-0.2%
92	Lahn-Dill-Kreis	253,364	-0%
93	Herford	250,635	0%
94	Braunschweig, Kreisfreie Stadt	248,823	+0.1%
95	Görlitz	248,273	-0.9%
96	Kiel, Kreisfreie Stadt	246,243	-0.1%
97	Marburg-Biedenkopf	246,097	+0.1%
98	Stormarn	245,406	+0.2%
99	Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge	244,009	-0.3%
100	Chemnitz, Kreisfreie Stadt	243,105	-0.5%
101	Meißen	239,344	-0.4%
102	Main-Taunus-Kreis	239,276	0%
103	Halle (Saale), Kreisfreie Stadt	238,061	+0.1%
104	Kassel, Landkreis	237,268	+0.1%
105	Hochtaunuskreis	237,041	-0.1%
106	Magdeburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	236,188	+0.2%
107	Vorpommern-Greifswald	235,451	-0.1%
108	Rastatt	232,296	+0.1%
109	Freiburg im Breisgau, Stadtkreis	231,848	+0.4%
110	Tübingen, Landkreis	229,806	+0.6%
111	Lörrach	229,445	+0.3%
112	Krefeld, Kreisfreie Stadt	227,050	+0.1%
113	Vorpommern-Rügen	225,900	+0.2%
114	Fulda	223,572	+0.2%
115	Vogtlandkreis	221,376	-1.1%
116	Coesfeld	221,352	+0.3%
117	Potsdam-Mittelmark	219,521	+0.7%
118	Bodenseekreis	218,885	+0.5%
119	Diepholz	218,839	+0.4%
120	Fürstenfeldbruck	218,579	-0.1%
121	Landkreis Rostock	217,796	+0.3%
122	Mainz, Kreisfreie Stadt	217,556	+0.2%
123	Lübeck, Kreisfreie Stadt	216,277	+0.2%
124	Oberhavel	215,795	+0.7%
125	Mayen-Koblenz	215,446	+0.3%
126	Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis	213,385	+0.2%
127	Erfurt, Kreisfreie Stadt	213,227	-0.2%
128	Mainz-Bingen	212,420	+0.4%
129	Ludwigslust-Parchim	211,899	0%
130	Harz	209,117	-0.9%
131	Oberhausen, Kreisfreie Stadt	208,752	-0.4%
132	Rostock, Kreisfreie Stadt	208,400	-0.3%
133	Stade	206,496	+0.6%
134	Westerwaldkreis	203,831	+0.5%
135	Schleswig-Flensburg	203,799	+0.6%
136	Biberach	203,244	+0.5%
137	Ostholstein	202,014	+0.3%
138	Herzogtum Lauenburg	200,819	+0.8%
139	Kassel, Kreisfreie Stadt	200,406	-0.3%
140	Enzkreis	200,237	+0.2%
141	Alb-Donau-Kreis	199,732	+0.8%
142	Cuxhaven	199,603	+0.4%
143	Schwäbisch Hall	199,398	+0.8%
144	Märkisch-Oderland	197,965	+0.4%
145	Nordsachsen	197,529	0%
146	Regensburg, Landkreis	195,225	+0.5%
147	Euskirchen	194,701	+0.2%
148	Passau, Landkreis	194,090	+0.3%
149	Saarlouis	193,661	-0%
150	Zollernalbkreis	190,545	+0.4%
151	Aurich	190,425	+0.1%
152	Barnim	188,835	+0.8%
153	Hagen, Kreisfreie Stadt	188,713	0%
154	Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis	187,229	-0.1%
155	Ansbach, Landkreis	186,279	+0.5%
156	Salzlandkreis	185,495	-1%
157	Lüneburg, Landkreis	185,129	+0.5%
158	Neuwied	184,390	+0.7%
159	Potsdam, Kreisfreie Stadt	183,154	+0.6%
160	Saalekreis	182,814	-0.3%
161	Freising	181,144	+0.5%
162	Schwalm-Eder-Kreis	180,052	+0.1%
163	Celle	179,915	+0.3%
164	Oder-Spree	179,245	-0%
165	Hamm, Kreisfreie Stadt	179,238	+0.2%
166	Traunstein	178,447	+0.5%
167	Gifhorn	177,919	+0.4%
168	Neu-Ulm	177,330	+0.9%
169	Burgenlandkreis	176,333	-0.7%
170	Dahme-Spreewald	175,834	+1.5%
171	Aschaffenburg, Landkreis	174,965	+0.2%
172	Cloppenburg	173,980	+0.8%
173	Limburg-Weilburg	172,759	+0.3%
174	Teltow-Fläming	172,545	+0.6%
175	Leer	172,421	+0.5%
176	Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Kreisfreie Stadt	172,145	-0.2%
177	Nürnberger Land	171,424	+0.2%
178	Waldshut	171,249	0%
179	Mülheim an der Ruhr, Kreisfreie Stadt	170,739	-0.1%
180	Oldenburg (Oldenburg), Kreisfreie Stadt	170,389	+0.5%
181	Börde	170,106	-0.3%
182	Emmendingen	167,945	+0.6%
183	Nordfriesland	167,560	+0.2%
184	Havelland	165,906	+0.7%
185	Osnabrück, Kreisfreie Stadt	165,034	+0.5%
186	Rotenburg (Wümme)	165,001	+0.3%
187	Leverkusen, Kreisfreie Stadt	163,851	-0%
188	Würzburg, Landkreis	163,534	+0.5%
189	Landshut, Landkreis	162,331	+0.7%
190	Calw	160,686	+0.3%
191	Darmstadt, Kreisfreie Stadt	159,631	+0.3%
192	Bad Kreuznach	159,402	+0.4%
193	Heidelberg, Stadtkreis	159,245	+0.3%
194	Solingen, Kreisfreie Stadt	158,957	-0.1%
195	Wartburgkreis	158,900	-0.6%
196	Nordwestmecklenburg	158,449	+0.3%
197	Schaumburg	158,108	-0.2%
198	Oberallgäu	157,202	+0.6%
199	Herne, Kreisfreie Stadt	156,621	-0.2%
200	Waldeck-Frankenberg	156,513	-0%
201	Anhalt-Bitterfeld	155,900	-0.8%
202	Dachau	155,449	+0.2%
203	Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis	155,050	+0.2%
204	Regensburg, Kreisfreie Stadt	153,542	+0.8%
205	Trier-Saarburg	151,167	+0.4%
206	Schwandorf	149,239	+0.5%
207	Hameln-Pyrmont	148,963	+0.3%
208	Unterallgäu	147,776	+1.1%
209	Bamberg, Landkreis	147,697	+0.1%
210	Vechta	144,805	+0.8%
211	Ebersberg	144,562	+0.3%
212	Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis	143,929	+0.1%
213	Ostallgäu	143,236	+0.9%
214	Heidekreis	142,912	+1.4%
215	Tuttlingen	142,414	+0.5%
216	Saarpfalz-Kreis	140,960	-0.5%
217	Rottweil	140,446	+0.2%
218	Höxter	139,994	+0.2%
219	Erding	139,622	+0.5%
220	Erlangen-Höchstadt	139,323	+0.9%
221	Grafschaft Bentheim	138,722	+0.6%
222	Verden	138,507	+0.7%
223	Ingolstadt, Kreisfreie Stadt	138,016	+0.8%
224	Peine	136,960	+0.8%
225	Starnberg	136,747	+0.1%
226	Weilheim-Schongau	136,642	+0.4%
227	Neumarkt i. d. OPf.	136,062	+0.6%
228	Aichach-Friedberg	135,538	+0.4%
229	Donau-Ries	134,986	+0.5%
230	Goslar	134,050	-0.5%
231	Dithmarschen	133,969	+0.5%
232	Gotha	133,825	-0.5%
233	Eichstätt	133,634	+0.3%
234	Bad Dürkheim	133,206	+0.2%
235	Olpe	133,120	-0.2%
236	Heidenheim	132,958	+0.1%
237	Main-Tauber-Kreis	132,956	+0.2%
238	Mansfeld-Südharz	132,317	-1%
239	Oldenburg, Landkreis	132,091	+0.5%
240	Northeim	131,765	-0%
241	Sigmaringen	131,725	+0.6%
242	Alzey-Worms	131,330	+0.5%
243	Offenbach am Main, Kreisfreie Stadt	131,295	+0.3%
244	Neunkirchen	130,847	-0.2%
245	Steinburg	130,843	+0.1%
246	Pfaffenhofen a. d. Ilm	129,772	+0.5%
247	Plön	129,687	+0.3%
248	Germersheim	129,313	+0.2%
249	Altenkirchen (Westerwald)	129,261	+0.1%
250	Fürth, Kreisfreie Stadt	129,122	+0.7%

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.

rank_places {"indicator":"population","level":"province","within":"Germany","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=population&level=province&within=Germany&limit=10

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Questions

Which area has the highest population?

Berlin, with 3.68 million in 2022, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which area has the lowest population?

Zweibrücken, Kreisfreie Stadt, with 34,091 in 2022.

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.