Facts and figures about Germany

Form of government

Federal parliamentary democracy since 1949; German unity since 1990

Population

82,5  million

Capital

Berlin, 3.7 million inhabitants

National flag

Three horizontal stripes in the colours black, red and gold

National emblem

Stylized eagle

National anthem

Third verse of August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben’s “Song of the Germans” sung to the melody of Joseph Haydn’s “Emperor’s Hymn”

National day

3 October, Day of German Unity

Federal President

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, since 2017

Federal Chancellor

Angela Merkel (CDU), since 2005

Federal Government

Coalition government consisting of CDU/CSU and SPD

Parliament

German Bundestag in Berlin comprising 709 members in six parliamentary groups (CDU/CSU, SPD, AfD, FDP, The Left Party and Alliance 90/The Greens)

Official language

German

Federal structure

The Federal Republic of Germany consists of 16 Länder or federal states (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia).

Bundesrat

The Bundesrat (upper house of parliament) is the representation of the Länder. It is involved in legislation and administration at national level.

Economy

Largest national economy in the European Union and the world’s fourth largest economy, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of 3,652 billion US dollars (2017)

Higher education institutions

428 universities, including some 217 universities of applied sciences, with a total of two million students

Cutting-edge research

Non-academic research is conducted by institutes of the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Leibniz Association and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres.

Cultural institutions

6,200 museums, 820 theatres, 130 professional orchestras and 8,800 libraries

Last updated:  April 2018