ifo Institute: Share of Rural Population in Germany at Its Lowest Level since 1871 – “While Cities Overflow, the Countryside Thins Out”

The share of Germany’s population living in the countryside has reached its lowest level since 1871. This is the result of a study conducted by the ifo Institute’s Dresden Branch. This urbanization can be observed nationwide – both in federal states that are growing, such as Hesse, and in those that are shrinking, such as Saxony.

For the study, authors Felix Roesel and Timo Weishaupt use new data that traces population development at the municipal level back to 1871. This data tells the researchers a story of the population becoming ever more concentrated in a few places. “Throughout the entire postwar period, Germany’s population has never before been so unevenly distributed across its national territory as today,” says Roesel, who led the study.

“It is particularly young people who avoid the countryside,” Roesel adds. “This results in a shortage of skilled workers and births there, which further exacerbates the imbalance in the medium term.” The ifo researchers call for a debate on strengthening rural areas. Among the possible ideas are to reactivate branch offices of public authorities and universities in rural areas, or set up new ones; or to reduce discrimination against small municipalities in how the Laender allocate their financing.

Roesel and Weishaupt’s complete essay can be found under the title “Staedte quellen über, das Land duennt sich aus: Anteil der Landbevoelkerung auf niedrigstem Stand seit 1871” in issue 02/2020 of ifo Dresden berichtet, which has just been published in German.