2015 was a record-breaking year for Germany, as the country saw the highest inward migration ever recorded thanks to 2.1 million people entering the country. A number like this would normally be celebrated, especially for a country that has seen its population decline in recent years, but a large percentage of the record smashing migration was attributed to the influx of refugees — an issue that is far from positive for many German citizens.
If there is one positive note to be taken from last weeks numbers, provided by government statistics agency Destatis, it’s that the German population increased by more than 1.1 million people, which is also a historical record.
Germany still has an issue with the number of people leaving the country as well though. Close to 1 million people left, which is up 9 percent from 2014, and it is a problem that could cause long-lasting effects for German — something that is easy to overlook with the temporary influx of newbies.