Country Resource - Germany
- Population..............................................................................84,220,184 (2023 est.)
- Population growth rate ................................................................-0.12% (2023 est.)
- Birth rate.....................................................9.02 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Death rate................................................11.97 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Net migration rate................................1.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Ethnic groups*.........................German 86.3%, Turkish 1.8%, Polish 1%, Syrian 1%, Romanian 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.9% (2020 est.)
* Data represent population by nationality
CIA World Factbook
Although long one of the world's top migrant destinations, only in the recent past has Germany come to acknowledge and adjust to its role as a country of immigration. Its welcoming approach—a relatively new development—has been put to the test amid massive humanitarian inflows beginning in 2015. This country profile examines Germany's history on immigration and highlights current and emerging debates.
Recent Activity
German media has helped reinforce the image of immigrants as “aliens” — sometimes even in exaggerated terms — since the first guest workers came to Germany in the 1950s. By focusing primarily on the problems associated with migration in Germany, the report shows that media have helped contribute to an atmosphere of polarization among the German public.
Since 2000, the German government has undertaken a series of steps to reform laws and shape public opinion in order to bring about better integration and managed migration. This can be said to constitute a new policy paradigm, the goal of which is to integrate nonnationals and promote harmonious community relations.
Germany has de facto been receiving immigrants for the last four decades, but the government only began actively dealing with the long-term impact of immigration a decade ago. Since the 1990s, Germany shifted away from stemming flows to recognizing its identity as a country of immigration and managing the impact of immigration on society.
The discussion guide offers a brief demographic and statistical profile of the immigrant student population in the United States, with comparison points drawn to Germany, sketches the broad policy implications of the demographic data, and provides a set of policy and practice issues in immigrant education and integration to facilitate a Roundtable inquiry in two areas: early childhood care and education, and secondary education.
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