• One-fifth of respondents in a new survey think about emigrating
  • The figure is even higher among people with a history of migration
  • In 2024, 1.2 million people left Germany

One in five people in Germany is considering leaving the country, according to a survey. Overall, 21 percent say this, while among Germans without a migration background it‘s 17 percent. Among people who immigrated themselves, it‘s twice as many at 34 percent, and among their descendants it‘s even 37 percent. This emerges from a brief study by the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).

The most common reason is reportedly the hope for a better life—cited by about every second person with emigration thoughts. People with a migration background often also cite experiences of discrimination. However, only two percent of respondents have concrete emigration plans: They plan to move away within a year. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, 1.2 million people left the country in 2024.

Authors: Emigration Significant for Demographic Change

„In Germany, debates about immigration have been booming for years,“ the paper states. „Less public attention, however, is paid to the fact that people regularly emigrate from Germany.“ This, the authors argue, is highly significant in light of demographic change and labor shortages.

People with family ties to Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa are most likely to consider emigrating—39 percent. The figure lies at 31 percent among people with a history of immigration from the former Soviet Union, and 28 percent among people from EU states.

Numbers Spiked Shortly Before Federal Election

The migration researchers surveyed 2,933 people five times each between summer 2024 and summer 2025 to control for fluctuations. The results remained largely constant, with one exception: „Shortly before the federal election in February 2025, hypothetical emigration considerations among immigrants and their descendants rose by about 10 percentage points,“ the authors write.

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The levels of abstract emigration considerations measured by Dezim are somewhat higher than in other studies. For instance, the Institute for Employment Research reported in mid-2025 that 26 percent of people who had immigrated to Germany were considering leaving. Of these, 3 percent—or around 300,000 people—had concrete emigration plans, it was reported at the time.

This article was originally written and published on the 10th of January in German. It was translated in English with the use of Artificial Intelligence.