Germany had around 2.648 million people with Turkish immigration history in 2025, equal to 3.2 percent of the population, according to first results of the 2025 microcensus released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on October 29. About 1.5 million had moved from Turkey themselves, while roughly 1.2 million were born in Germany.
The figures were published ahead of the 65th anniversary of the German-Turkish labour recruitment agreement signed on October 30, 1961. Destatis estimated that around 125,000 former workers recruited from Turkey between 1961 and 1973 were still living in Germany in 2025.
Citizenship reflects a generational shift
Almost half of the people counted – 48 percent – held German citizenship. The share was 28 percent among people who had themselves immigrated from Turkey, compared with 74 percent among direct descendants born in Germany. The figures show why the population with Turkish immigration history is broader than the number of Turkish passport holders.
Employment data also point to a substantial presence in the labour market. In 2025, 61 percent of people born in Turkey who had moved to Germany and were aged 15 to 64 were employed. The rate for the overall population in the same age group was 77 percent. People with Turkish immigration history accounted for 3.5 percent of all employed people aged 15 to 64, or around 1.4 million workers.
Their share was higher in several occupational groups: 9.8 percent in cleaning jobs, 6.7 percent in textile and leather occupations, and 6.6 percent in metal production, metalworking and metal construction.
North Rhine-Westphalia is home to the largest share
North Rhine-Westphalia was home to 32 percent of people with Turkish immigration history. Baden-Württemberg accounted for 18 percent, Bavaria 12 percent and Hesse 10 percent. Together, the four states were home to 73 percent of the group.
Destatis uses the term “immigration history” for people who migrated to Germany themselves after 1950 or whose two parents did so. The measure therefore includes naturalised German citizens and descendants born in Germany, not only people who hold Turkish citizenship.
