Data / Rankings / Population / Regions of Germany (NUTS 2)

Regions of Germany (NUTS 2) by population

Düsseldorf had the highest population of 38 regions in 2017, at 5.19 million. Trier had the lowest, at 528,728. The median was 1.85 million and the figure for Germany was 82.52 million. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest5,190,790Düsseldorf
Lowest528,728Trier
Median1,846,27938 regions
Germany82,521,653History

All regions, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

DüsseldorfDüsseldorf: 5,190,790 persons5,190,790OberbayernOberbayern: 4,633,323 persons4,633,323KölnKöln: 4,439,416 persons4,439,416StuttgartStuttgart: 4,098,278 persons4,098,278DarmstadtDarmstadt: 3,951,234 persons3,951,234ArnsbergArnsberg: 3,586,313 persons3,586,313BerlinBerlin: 3,574,830 persons3,574,830Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein: 2,881,926 persons2,881,926KarlsruheKarlsruhe: 2,779,314 persons2,779,314MünsterMünster: 2,619,376 persons2,619,376Weser-EmsWeser-Ems: 2,506,155 persons2,506,155BrandenburgBrandenburg: 2,494,648 persons2,494,648FreiburgFreiburg: 2,239,734 persons2,239,734Sachsen-AnhaltSachsen-Anhalt: 2,236,252 persons2,236,252ThüringenThüringen: 2,158,128 persons2,158,128HannoverHannover: 2,139,976 persons2,139,976DetmoldDetmold: 2,054,205 persons2,054,205Rheinhessen-PfalzRheinhessen-Pfalz: 2,045,138 persons2,045,138SchwabenSchwaben: 1,857,991 persons1,857,991TübingenTübingen: 1,834,567 persons1,834,567HamburgHamburg: 1,810,438 persons1,810,438MittelfrankenMittelfranken: 1,750,059 persons1,750,059LüneburgLüneburg: 1,703,945 persons1,703,945Mecklenburg-VorpommernMecklenburg-Vorpommern: 1,610,674 persons1,610,674DresdenDresden: 1,600,155 persons1,600,155BraunschweigBraunschweig: 1,595,609 persons1,595,609KoblenzKoblenz: 1,492,187 persons1,492,187ChemnitzChemnitz: 1,454,144 persons1,454,144UnterfrankenUnterfranken: 1,309,209 persons1,309,209NiederbayernNiederbayern: 1,219,397 persons1,219,397KasselKassel: 1,218,211 persons1,218,211OberpfalzOberpfalz: 1,098,378 persons1,098,378OberfrankenOberfranken: 1,062,394 persons1,062,394GießenGießen: 1,043,643 persons1,043,643LeipzigLeipzig: 1,027,484 persons1,027,484SaarlandSaarland: 996,651 persons996,651BremenBremen: 678,753 persons678,753TrierTrier: 528,728 persons528,728
persons. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankRegions2017
persons		Change on 2016
1Düsseldorf5,190,790+0.3%
2Oberbayern4,633,323+1%
3Köln4,439,416+0.4%
4Stuttgart4,098,278+0.7%
5Darmstadt3,951,234+0.7%
6Arnsberg3,586,313-0.3%
7Berlin3,574,830+1.6%
8Schleswig-Holstein2,881,926+0.8%
9Karlsruhe2,779,314+0.6%
10Münster2,619,376+0.2%
11Weser-Ems2,506,155+0.4%
12Brandenburg2,494,648+0.4%
13Freiburg2,239,734+0.7%
14Sachsen-Anhalt2,236,252-0.4%
15Thüringen2,158,128-0.6%
16Hannover2,139,976+0.4%
17Detmold2,054,205-0.2%
18Rheinhessen-Pfalz2,045,138+0.7%
19Schwaben1,857,991+0.6%
20Tübingen1,834,567+0.6%
21Hamburg1,810,438+1.3%
22Mittelfranken1,750,059+0.7%
23Lüneburg1,703,945+0.2%
24Mecklenburg-Vorpommern1,610,674-0.1%
25Dresden1,600,155-0.2%
26Braunschweig1,595,609-0.2%
27Koblenz1,492,187+0.3%
28Chemnitz1,454,144-0.8%
29Unterfranken1,309,209+0.2%
30Niederbayern1,219,397+0.6%
31Kassel1,218,211+0.4%
32Oberpfalz1,098,378+0.6%
33Oberfranken1,062,394+0.3%
34Gießen1,043,643+0.3%
35Leipzig1,027,484+1.1%
36Saarland996,651+0.1%
37Bremen678,753+1.1%
38Trier528,728-0.7%

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 regions 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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Questions

Which region has the highest population?

Düsseldorf, with 5.19 million in 2017, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which region has the lowest population?

Trier, with 528,728 in 2017.

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.

Population: other rankings

Regions of Germany (NUTS 2): more rankings