Bruchsal, Germany, March 12, 2015 – Germany’s socio-demographic profile varies significantly on a region by region basis. This is the finding of the study “GfK Demographics Germany 2014”. GfK annually calculates the regional distribution of family types, age ranges, income brackets and accommodation types. Due to newly available data, the current study reveals a higher nationwide proportion of households with children as well as a smaller share of single-person households than in previous years.
The share of single-person households in Germany is 37.2 percent according to the study “GfK Demographics 2014”. This is approximately 2.8 percent less than the figure reported in the previous year’s study. By contrast, the share of Germany’s households with children is 32.8 percent, which exceeds the share of multiple-person households without children (30 percent).
In calculating the regional distribution of the data for 2014, GfK integrated the latest results of the nationwide 2011 census, which were released in April of last year by Germany’s Federal Bureau of Statistics. This new data source is the primary cause of the shift in the distributions.
The share of family types has changed at both the nationwide and regional levels. This is also true of the districts with the highest proportion of single-person households. As in previous years, Regensburg urban district significantly outpaces Germany’s other districts with a 53.6 percent share of single-person households. This equates to 1.4 times the national average. But for the first time, the urban districts of Würzburg and Leipzig oust Berlin from its longstanding leading position to fourth place. The rural district of Cloppenburg has the nation’s lowest share of single-person households at 22.4 percent.
Top 10 districts according to share of single-person households
rank | urban district (UD) / rural district (RD) | inhabitants | share of single-person households | single-person household index |
1 | Regensburg UD | 138,296 | 53.61 % | 144.1 |
2 | Würzburg UD | 124,577 | 52.60 % | 141.4 |
3 | Leipzig UD | 520,838 | 50.81 % | 136.6 |
4 | Berlin UD | 3,375,222 | 50.79 % | 136.5 |
5 | Flensburg UD | 83,462 | 50.71 % | 136.3 |
6 | Munich UD | 1,388,308 | 50.70 % | 136.3 |
7 | Passau UD | 49,038 | 50.25 % | 135.1 |
8 | Düsseldorf UD | 593,682 | 50.04 % | 134.5 |
9 | Rostock UD | 202,887 | 50.01 % | 134.4 |
10 | Trier UD | 106,544 | 49.90 % | 134.1 |
source: GfK Demographics Germany 2014 UD = urban district; RD = rural district
Regions with high numbers of households with children also often have significantly fewer single-person households than the average, and vice versa. Single-person households are most concentrated in Germany’s large cities and university cities, while the share of households with children is especially high in rural regions. According to the study, the highest share of families with children in 2014 was in the rural district of Cloppenburg, with almost 50 percent.
household type |
Germany – total | highest share | lowest share |
Single-person households | 37.2% | Regensburg UD (53.6%) |
Cloppenburg RD (22.4%) |
Multiple-person households without children | 30.0% | Barnim RD (36.3%) |
Regensburg UD (24.6%) |
Multiple-person households with children | 32.8% | Cloppenburg RD (49.5%) |
Würzburg UD (19.8%) |
source: GfK Demographics Germany 2014 UD = urban district; RD = rural district
About the study
GfK Demographics reveals the socio-demographic profile of the population and is calculated for various regional levels. The dataset provides information on Germany’s population and households according to household type (single- and multiple-person with or without children, as well as immigrant households), age range (i.e., age of household head), income level (divided into seven brackets), as well as the architectural profile of the residence (single- or dual-family house, etc.).
GfK Demographics is used by marketing and sales divisions for locating target groups. The detailed data reveals the best areas in which to conduct marketing and sales campaigns for certain products. GfK Demographics 2014 is available from GfK’s Geomarketing solution area for all of Germany’s urban and rural districts, municipalities, postcodes, streets and 2.6 million street segments.
Additional information
on GfK’s regional market data can be found at www.gfk.com/marketdata.
Print-quality illustrations
can be found at https://www.gfk.com/Documents/Press-Releases/2015/demographics.zip
About GfK
GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.
Additional information can be found at www.gfk.com.
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