Germany: The number of students stagnates

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The Ruhr-Universität Bochum in times of the corona pandemic: The virus is partly responsible for the decline in student numbers

Photo: Rupert Oberhäuser / IMAGO

The number of students in Germany is stagnating.

With 2,947,500 students enrolled, the number remained almost unchanged compared to the previous year, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office.

In the past 14 years the number had risen continuously and noticeably - this development has now been slowed down for the time being.

According to statisticians, the generally slowed increase is related to the longer-term development of the number of new students.

This fell for the fourth year in a row.

In all of 2021, 472,100 freshmen began their studies.

That was four percent less than in 2020 and eight percent less than 2017.

Guilt: the demographics and Corona

The highest number of freshmen came in 2011, at 518,700, after compulsory military service was suspended and two cohorts in several federal states had passed their Abitur at the same time.

The statisticians cited demographics as the reasons for the downward trend among freshmen since 2017, but also the corona pandemic.

As a result of the pandemic, the number of foreign students fell by 22 percent in 2020.

At the same time, the 17 to 22 year old population has shrunk by five percent over the past four years.

This age group makes up around three quarters of freshmen.

Plus at universities of applied sciences and administration schools

The decline is particularly noticeable at the universities.

Compared to the winter semester 2020/2021, two percent fewer students are currently enrolled at universities and colleges of the same rank.

In contrast, universities of applied sciences recorded an increase of three percent during the period.

There was also an increase at administrative colleges with a plus of five percent and art colleges with a plus of two percent.

sun / AFP / dpa