Germany's Household Count to Shrink Up to 5% by 2050, Destatis Says
WIESBADEN – November 05, 2026 -- The number of private households in Germany will fall by 2% to 5% by 2050, from 41.8 million in 2024 to between 40.9 million and 39.7 million, under moderate or relatively old population scenarios. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports this in its Household Projection 2026. The decline would reverse the rise in household numbers recorded since German reunification in 1990.
Only a relatively young population would keep the household count at or above the 2024 level, with growth of 1%. That scenario requires a markedly higher birth rate combined with high net immigration.