Germany experienced a significant population boost in 2022, primarily due to the influx of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Official figures released Tuesday reveal that the country's population grew by 1.12 million, reaching over 84.4 million. This represents a 1.3% increase, a stark contrast to the mere 0.1% growth observed in 2021.

This surge is largely attributed to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees seeking safety from the conflict. Every German state witnessed population growth, with the most substantial proportional increases occurring in the major cities of Berlin and Hamburg, both experiencing a 2.1% rise.

By the end of 2022, Germany hosted 12.3 million foreign nationals. While Turkish citizens remain the largest single group at 1.34 million, the Ukrainian population saw a dramatic increase of 915,000, reaching 1.05 million. The Syrian population also grew by 48,000, totaling 883,000.

The overall increase in foreign nationals residing in Germany was 1.4 million. Conversely, the number of German citizens decreased by 309,000, primarily due to a higher death rate than birth rate. Consequently, the percentage of the population without German citizenship rose from 13.1% to 14.6%.