Press release No. 021 of 20 January 2016
WIESBADEN – The current high immigration has only limited effects on the long-term population trends. It is mainly reflected in short-term population growth, but cannot reverse the trend towards increased population ageing. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that the current age structure of the population is expected to have a stronger impact on the demographic development in the next three decades than the balance of immigration to and emigration from Germany. High net immigration can however slow the pace and lessen the extent of population ageing.
The differences between the numbers of people in the younger and the middle age groups are quite large and can probably not be offset by net immigration. The number of people aged 67 years and over is expected to rise to at least 21.5 million by 2040. It will then be 6.3 million, or 42%, higher than the number of people aged 67+ in 2013 (15.1 million).