The varied Republic of Germany
Germany is becoming more and more diverse. Seven facts you should know if you want a say in the matter.
- Almost 24.9 million of the 83.9 million people in Germany have a migrant background. More than 200 nationalities are represented among the population of Germany.
- 7.8 million people in Germany have a severe disability.
- 11 percent of the German population do not describe themselves as heterosexual, but as LGBT: lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender.
- 5,900 companies and institutions with a total of around 14.7 million employees have signed Germany’s Diversity Charter. They deliberately promote the diversity of their employees. Chancellor Angela Merkel has been the patron of the initiative since it was first established in 2006.
- 50 percent of people in Germany are Christians; of these, 44.6 percent are Catholic and 34.7 percent are Protestant, while 3.7 percent belong to the Orthodox Church, the Free Church or the Pentecostal Church. 36 percent of people in Germany are not part of any religious community. At 8.5 percent, Islam is the second largest religious group in Germany, followed by Hinduism (1.3 percent), Buddhism (0.9 percent) and Judaism (0.3 percent).
- Belén Garijo from Spain has been Chair of the Executive Board of Darmstadt-based chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck since May 2021. This makes her the first woman to lead a DAX-listed company on her own.
- Diversity in Germany is not just a nice idea: it is mandatory, because it is enshrined in law. Contracts and legislation such as the General Equal Treatment Act mean that equal opportunities and equal treatment are required by law.
