Short-term indicators
in German language and literature

Students1
German language and literature
Germany2
% changes on the previous year
Year Total Germans
total male female total male female
1: Winter term. The results may differ slightly from those previously published because Institutions of higher education that were unable to provide detailed data are excluded.
2: Until 1989: former territory of the Federal Republic.
2023 -3.5 -4.6 -3.2 -3.2 -4.5 -2.8
2022 -2.5 -2.5 -2.5 -2.2 -2.4 -2.1
2021 -3.0 -4.3 -2.7 -3.8 -5.1 -3.4
2020 -3.9 -6.4 -3.2 -1.4 -3.8 -0.7
2019 -0.7 -1.5 -0.5 -0.6 -1.8 -0.2
2018 -2.3 -4.6 -1.7 -2.3 -4.1 -1.8
2017 -0.7 -2.2 -0.3 -0.3 -2.6 0.4
2016 -1.1 -0.5 -1.2 -0.4 -0.3 -0.5
2015 -3.1 -3.5 -3.0 -2.5 -2.7 -2.4
2014 -2.4 -3.2 -2.1 -2.5 -3.7 -2.1
2013 -1.4 -1.8 -1.2 -1.5 -1.4 -1.5
2012 -0.3 -0.8 -0.1 0.3 -0.2 0.4
2011 1.2 2.1 0.9 1.7 2.0 1.6
2010 -0.3 -0.9 -0.2 0.1 -0.4 0.3
2009 0.8 0.0 1.0 1.3 0.6 1.5
2008 -2.5 -1.8 -2.7 -1.7 -0.9 -2.0
2007 -4.7 -4.0 -4.9 -3.7 -3.4 -3.8
2006 -1.3 0.3 -1.8 -0.4 0.5 -0.7
2005 -0.6 -1.5 -0.3 0.6 0.4 0.7
2004 -5.2 -8.5 -4.2 -4.4 -8.3 -3.2
2003 3.4 2.1 3.8 4.2 3.0 4.6
2002 5.0 1.8 6.1 5.0 1.9 6.0
2001 6.2 3.4 7.2 6.2 3.2 7.3
2000 0.6 -2.7 1.8 -0.4 -3.7 0.9
1999 -1.0 -3.9 0.0 -1.9 -4.3 -0.9
1998 -2.5 -3.7 -2.0 -2.9 -3.2 -2.9
1997 -0.3 -1.3 0.1 -0.5 -0.8 -0.3
1996 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.2 2.0 0.9
1995 0.5 0.0 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.5
1994 0.7 1.5 0.4 -0.5 1.2 -1.2
1993 4.2 2.8 4.8 3.4 2.8 3.6
1992 15.0 9.1 17.5 14.0 7.9 16.5
1991 6.7 4.8 7.5 6.6 5.1 7.3
1990 8.4 8.0 8.6 8.3 7.6 8.6
1989 2.9 0.5 4.0 2.4 -0.6 3.8
1988 2.9 -0.3 4.4 2.7 -1.0 4.4
1987 1.0 -0.6 1.8 0.0 -2.0 1.0
1986 -2.5 -4.1 -1.7 -3.5 -5.2 -2.7
1985 -1.9 -3.2 -1.3 -2.6 -3.8 -2.0
1984 -1.2 -1.8 -0.8 -1.7 -2.7 -1.2
1983 -2.5 -4.0 -1.7 -2.9 -4.3 -2.1
1982 0.2 -3.3 2.1 -0.3 -3.7 1.6
1981 6.3 1.0 9.5 6.4 0.3 10.1
1980 4.9 1.1 7.3 3.9 -0.3 6.7
1979 -0.4 -2.9 1.3 -0.6 -3.4 1.3
1978 -2.2 -4.0 -0.9 -2.8 -4.6 -1.6
1977 -2.7 -3.7 -2.0 -3.0 -3.8 -2.4
1976 -1.7 -1.5 -1.8 -1.8 -1.9 -1.8

As at 09 August 2024