Almost every fourth resident of Germany has a foreign origin
As 'Russkaya Germaniya' notes, compared to the previous year this figure increased by 4.4%. Thus, the number of residents of Germany with foreign roots has now reached an absolute record in the entire modern history of the country.
Interestingly, of the 19.3 million, 51% have German 'Ausweise', and 49% have foreign passports. Six years ago, the number of foreigners in Germany was only 42% of the total number of residents with a migration background.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, currently 2.8 million people (14%) have Turkish roots, 2.1 million (11%) have Polish roots, 1.4 million (7%) are from the Russian Federation, 1.2 million (6%) are natives of Kazakhstan, and about 900,000 have Romanian origin.
The main reason for the growth in the number of residents of Germany with a migration background is considered to be both the natural decline of 'native Germans' by half a million people annually and the constant increase in immigration to Germany. Thus, of the 19.3 million people with foreign roots, 13.2 million immigrated to the Federal Republic on their own.
Among the entire population of Germany, only every tenth person over 65 has a migration background. At the same time, in the age group under 45, this figure is 38%. The latter indicator is even higher than similar figures in the United States, that is, in a country with many years of practice of orderly immigration.
Meanwhile, unlike countries such as the USA, Australia, Canada, or New Zealand, Germany opened up to immigration not so long ago, in the 1960s. But already today, according to statisticians, the Federal Republic is the most attractive country for migrants, at least on the European continent, whether it be labor migration, family reunification, or seeking political asylum.
Interestingly, earlier, the main reason for moving to Germany was family reunification (37%), another 18% cited purely professional reasons. However, in recent years, the reasons for immigration to Germany have clearly shifted towards finding a job or study place (28%), while almost 60% of this category of people immediately started working upon arrival in Germany.
The statisticians' data on the foreign languages spoken at home by residents of the Federal Republic are also quite interesting. It turns out that out of a total of 24 million 'households' in Germany, about 2.5 million speak a foreign language. Most often it is Turkish (17%), followed by Russian (15%), Polish (8%), and Arabic (7%). If all members of a 'household' have a migration background, then in 55% of cases they predominantly use their native language in communication. If only one of them has migration roots, then only 7% do not speak German.
As statisticians note, their data on the number of residents with a migration background practically do not take into account those residents of Germany whose grandparents were not Germans. If this group of the population is also added, then the idea of Germany as a supposedly traditionally conservative country that still does not have an Immigration Law does not hold up to any criticism.