In 2023, the number of Ukrainians in Germany decreased, yet post-war net migration continues to remain high.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
1. Net migration from Ukraine to Germany saw a significant decrease, plummeting by 87 percent, yet it remained higher than pre-war levels.
2. The majority of Ukrainian immigrants in Germany are women, accounting for 61 percent of immigrants and minors, with an observable rise in single parents with children among Ukrainian immigrants.
3. The Ukrainian population in Germany experienced a substantial increase, surging from 138,000 individuals in January 2022 to 1.15 million by October 2023.
Throughout 2023, approximately 277,000 Ukrainian nationals migrated to Germany, with over 56 percent departing by year-end. Consequently, 121,000 Ukrainians remained in Germany, reflecting the net migration rates, as revealed by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). The data illustrates an 87 percent drop in net migration within the one-year period.
In 2023, net migration reached 121,000, a significant decrease from the previous year, which marked the onset of the war in Ukraine, witnessing almost one million migrants arriving in Germany. Despite the gradual decline in migration rates from Ukraine over two years, figures have not returned to pre-war levels, with net migration remaining higher than in preceding years, such as 2021 and 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser reinstated the country's support for Ukrainian nationals two years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing Germany's efforts in accommodating and integrating refugees.
The micro census indicates that 61 percent of Ukrainian immigrants in both 2022 and 2023 were female, with minors constituting 34 percent of the total. Notably, in 2023, approximately 40 percent of immigrants were single parents with their children. The demographic profile of Ukrainian immigrants shifted slightly in 2023 compared to 2022, with fewer women and minors, and an increase in the 18 to 60 age group.
The Ukrainian population in Germany surged from 138,000 in January 2022 to 1.15 million by October 2023, representing 0.2 percent to 1.4 percent of the population, respectively. While North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Lower Saxony are the most populated states by Ukrainians, Hamburg, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania harbor the highest proportions, with Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, and Brandenburg exhibiting the lowest.