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

Regions of Germany (NUTS 2) by population

Düsseldorf had the highest population of 38 regions in 2021, at 5.2 million. Trier had the lowest, at 534,438. The median was 1.89 million and the figure for Germany was 83.16 million. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest5,200,090Düsseldorf
Lowest534,438Trier
Median1,886,63338 regions
Germany83,155,031History

All regions, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

DüsseldorfDüsseldorf: 5,200,090 persons5,200,090OberbayernOberbayern: 4,719,716 persons4,719,716KölnKöln: 4,475,530 persons4,475,530StuttgartStuttgart: 4,151,094 persons4,151,094DarmstadtDarmstadt: 4,026,618 persons4,026,618BerlinBerlin: 3,664,088 persons3,664,088ArnsbergArnsberg: 3,571,053 persons3,571,053Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein: 2,910,875 persons2,910,875KarlsruheKarlsruhe: 2,807,601 persons2,807,601MünsterMünster: 2,624,719 persons2,624,719Weser-EmsWeser-Ems: 2,542,666 persons2,542,666BrandenburgBrandenburg: 2,531,071 persons2,531,071FreiburgFreiburg: 2,276,924 persons2,276,924Sachsen-AnhaltSachsen-Anhalt: 2,180,684 persons2,180,684HannoverHannover: 2,147,704 persons2,147,704ThüringenThüringen: 2,120,237 persons2,120,237Rheinhessen-PfalzRheinhessen-Pfalz: 2,063,123 persons2,063,123DetmoldDetmold: 2,054,178 persons2,054,178SchwabenSchwaben: 1,905,841 persons1,905,841TübingenTübingen: 1,867,424 persons1,867,424HamburgHamburg: 1,852,478 persons1,852,478MittelfrankenMittelfranken: 1,775,704 persons1,775,704LüneburgLüneburg: 1,722,474 persons1,722,474Mecklenburg-VorpommernMecklenburg-Vorpommern: 1,610,774 persons1,610,774BraunschweigBraunschweig: 1,590,577 persons1,590,577DresdenDresden: 1,589,888 persons1,589,888KoblenzKoblenz: 1,500,830 persons1,500,830ChemnitzChemnitz: 1,413,730 persons1,413,730UnterfrankenUnterfranken: 1,317,507 persons1,317,507NiederbayernNiederbayern: 1,247,063 persons1,247,063KasselKassel: 1,217,796 persons1,217,796OberpfalzOberpfalz: 1,112,267 persons1,112,267OberfrankenOberfranken: 1,062,085 persons1,062,085LeipzigLeipzig: 1,053,323 persons1,053,323GießenGießen: 1,048,740 persons1,048,740SaarlandSaarland: 983,991 persons983,991BremenBremen: 680,130 persons680,130TrierTrier: 534,438 persons534,438
persons. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankRegions2021
persons		Change on 2020
1Düsseldorf5,200,090-0.1%
2Oberbayern4,719,716+0.2%
3Köln4,475,530-0.1%
4Stuttgart4,151,094-0.1%
5Darmstadt4,026,618+0.2%
6Berlin3,664,088-0.1%
7Arnsberg3,571,053-0.3%
8Schleswig-Holstein2,910,875+0.2%
9Karlsruhe2,807,601-0.1%
10Münster2,624,7190%
11Weser-Ems2,542,666+0.3%
12Brandenburg2,531,071+0.4%
13Freiburg2,276,924+0.2%
14Sachsen-Anhalt2,180,684-0.6%
15Hannover2,147,704-0%
16Thüringen2,120,237-0.6%
17Rheinhessen-Pfalz2,063,1230%
18Detmold2,054,178-0.1%
19Schwaben1,905,841+0.3%
20Tübingen1,867,424+0.2%
21Hamburg1,852,478+0.3%
22Mittelfranken1,775,7040%
23Lüneburg1,722,474+0.4%
24Mecklenburg-Vorpommern1,610,774+0.2%
25Braunschweig1,590,577-0.3%
26Dresden1,589,888-0.4%
27Koblenz1,500,830+0.2%
28Chemnitz1,413,730-0.9%
29Unterfranken1,317,507-0%
30Niederbayern1,247,063+0.2%
31Kassel1,217,796-0.1%
32Oberpfalz1,112,2670%
33Oberfranken1,062,085-0.3%
34Leipzig1,053,323+0.4%
35Gießen1,048,7400%
36Saarland983,991-0.3%
37Bremen680,130-0.2%
38Trier534,438+0.2%

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 5.2 million in 2021, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which region has the lowest population?

Trier, with 534,438 in 2021.

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