Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
If not otherwise stated, regional breakdowns correspond to the most recent NUTS classification. There are agreements between Eurostat and Candidate countries as well as between Eurostat and EFTA countries, for which statistical regions have been coded in a way that resembles NUTS.
For more information on the versions in force, please see this website Overview.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See the table 3.4.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A - Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
See the table 3.4.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A - Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
3.5. Statistical unit
If not otherwise stated, number of persons.
3.6. Statistical population
See the table 3.6 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
3.7. Reference area
Population, live births and deaths data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail (NUTS3).
National data on divorces are by Länder (NUTS1) only.
Migration data according to the definition of usual residence is available at the national level.
Data on acquisition of citizenship available at national level.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Not applicable.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Population: number of persons;
Live births: cases of live births;
Deaths: cases of deaths;
Legally induced abortions: cases of legally induced abortions;
Immigrants: Persons for non-nationals and immigration cases for nationals;
Emigrants: Persons for non-nationals and emigration cases for nationals;
Acquisitions of citizenship: Cases of acquisition of citizenship.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December).
The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred.
The reference period for naturalizations is the year in which the naturalization certificate was issued.
For migration of non-nationals, the reference period is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.
For migration of nationals, the reference period is the year in which the migration event is reported in the national statistics. On the one hand, this includes late registrations of migration events from the previous year. On the other hand, late registrations of migrations events from the current year are not included.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
For part of the statistics, data produced by the Statistical Offices of the Länder are used by the Federal Statistical Office.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Confidentiality of data is regulated by the Bundesstatistikgesetz and the data protection act.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
For the data on vital events, marriages and divorces dissemination of cells with less than 3 persons is not allowed.
Confidentiality for data on acquisitions of citizenship since 2018 is assured by means of deterministic rounding. Numbers are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. As a consequence, differences between reported sums and the sum of individual cells may occur.
Population data by country of birth were calculated with a specific estimation method using the distribution of countries of birth by citizenship, age groups and sex from census 2022. The census data used to calculate the distribution were treated for confidentialtiy with the cell-key method.
See the table 11.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
See the table 11.2.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A on type of duration of stay
See the table 11.2.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A on definition of acquisition of citizenship
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Population statistics are needed for a wide range of users for political, administrativ, scientific and economic purposes and are of general interest for the overall society.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
All mandatory data are provided, if data quality is sufficient. Migration data for persons aged 95 or older is of insufficient quality for a further single year breakdown, therefore results are aggregated for this age group.
Voluntary data are partially provided.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
See the table 13.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A See the table 13.1.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
13.2. Sampling error
See the table 13.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
13.3. Non-sampling error
See the table 13.3 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
14.1. Timeliness
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (In the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Data collection is regulated at national level by federal laws. Data collection, validation and compilation is conducted by the statistical offices of the Länder using coherent methods, so that data are comparable between regional units.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See the table 15.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
For population data, there are differences between total population for union purposes according to Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013) and national data or data provided to Eurostat according to Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013) or Regulation (EC) No 862/2007due to the use of the definition of usual residence with the 12 months criteria for the total population for union purposes. There are also differences between national migration flow data and data provided to Eurostat according to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 because of different concepts and time criteria.
Comparing data on residence permits of 12 months or more from the Residence Permits Statistic to International Migration Statistic (flows/stocks) has several limitations. The main reasons for the differences between data on first residence permits issued and immigration flows are:
In Germany, there is a legal distinction between a residence permit and some other form of authorization to stay. For example, authorizations to stay delivered to asylum seekers are not counted as residence permits. Therefore, persons may have immigrated in the reference year without having received a first residence permit in the reference year. Furthermore, immigrants in the reference year may have received a residence permit for less than 12 months in the reference year or a residence permit was granted to them with a certain time lag in a following year. Moreover, the use of different states of the Central Register of Foreigners (31 December 2021 for RP; 30 June 2022 for IM) can result that late registrations can be included in the Migration Statistic but not in the Residence Permits Statistic.
On the contrary, first residence permits may have been issued to persons already having their usual residence in Germany (e.g. persons who immigrated in a previous year and only received an authorization to stay). Additionally, first residence permits can be issued to persons who did not immigrate for a minimum of 12 months. These can be persons who did not stay for the expected duration of the residence permit or imputed cases (as the actual duration of stay is used to calculate immigrants, the duration of stay has to be imputed for persons who arrived in the second half of the reference year). In a few cases, first residence permits are issued to children of third-country nationals born in Germany during the reference year.
In addition to most of the above-mentioned reasons, differences between the stocks of long-term residence permits and the stocks of third country nationals result in part from the differences between the population figures from intercensal population update and the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR).
15.4. Coherence - internal
The demographic balance based on national definition is consistent as the component method is being used.
Differences between population change and the balance of vital and migration events (according to national statistics) occur when the data providers (local residents' registration offices, registrars of vital events) send corrections to former delivered data to the statistical office after the original data was finally compiled. Events which took place prior to the previous year and are first transmitted by the registration offices in the reporting period are taken into account as a statistical adjustment.
Not applicable.
17.1. Data revision - policy
There are usually only final yearly results.
As part of the grant project 2022-DE-POP-MIG Migration data has been revised for reference years 2014–2022 in Octobre 2024.
Population data may be revised when they are rebased after a census.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Population data for 2010–2013 were revised after Census 2011.
Population data delivered in December 2023 for 2022 were pre-census 2022 results and were revised in September 2024 with post-census data.
18.1. Source data
See the table 18.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
18.2. Frequency of data collection
National migration statistic and vital events statistics: Local regsitration offices (Meldebehörden) and registrar's offices (Standesämter) send data on events they registered (arrivals, departures, administrative deregistrations, change of residence status, births and deaths) on an ongoing basis to the statistical offices of the Länder.
Central Register of Foreigners: 31.12. and 30.06., collection on 30.06. is exclusively used for the calculation of migrants according to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007.
Acquisition of citizenship: yearly.
18.3. Data collection
Migration statistics and vital events: Data is collected in a decentralised procedure based on electronic data transmission from the local residents' registration offices (Meldebehörden) and and registrar's offices of vital events (Standesämter) to the statistical offices of the Länder. The data is transmitted online using a coherent XML-standard (XMeld and XPersonenstand). After compilation and validation of the data by the statistical offices of the Länder, the Federal statistical office compiles the national results. Corrections to previously sent data are also delivered by local residents' registration offices or registrar’s offices, if applicable.
Central Register of Foreigners: The Federal Statistical Office receives a biannual extract of the register from the Federal Office for Migration and Asylum.
Statistics on naturalizations: data is collected by the statistical offices of the Länder from the naturalization offices using a standard electronic questionnaire.
18.4. Data validation
Migration:
For the national statistics on migration flows and vital events, data delivered more than once are deleted. Missing or not plausible variables are either inquired from the data providers or imputed. Variables are coded using statistical classifications (e.g.classification of territorial units, classification of countries). Corrections to previous data received from the data provider are processed and, if relevant, taken into account in the calculation of population figures and the production of the final results.
Data from the Central register of foreigners are checked for missing and implausible information and for extreme changes against the previous year. Missing or implausible variables are imputed. Variables are coded using statistical classifications (e.g.classification of territorial units, classification of countries). Reasons for extreme changes are cleared with the data provider.
Data on naturalizations are checked for double counting, missing and implausible variables. Missing or not plausible variables are either sought from the data provider or imputed. Variables are coded using national statistical classifications (e.g.classification of territorial units, classification of countries).
18.5. Data compilation
No further data compilation for vital events. Population data are compiled using the component method.
Immigrants:
A non-national with an arrival in Germany in the reference year is counted as an immigrant if there was no departure within 12 months after arrival and the last place of residence for at least 12 months was abroad. Estimations with previous year's rates of stay are necessary if there is less than 12 months between arrival date and the date of data delivery to the statistical office or if the sequence of arrivals and departures is not plausible.
A national with arrival in Germany in the reference year is counted as an immigrant if the duration of stay abroad was more than 12 months. Imputations are necessary for missing information on duration of stay abroad.
Emigrants:
Non nationals with a registered departure from Germany or an administrative deregistration in the reference year are counted as emigrants if there was no return to Germany within 12 months after arrival and the last place of residence for at least 12 months was in Germany. Estimations with previous year's rates of stay are necessary if there is less than 12 months between departure date and the date of data delivery to the statistical office or if the sequence of arrivals and departures is not plausible.
The number of nationals with a registered departure for abroad in the reference year is corrected for returns within 12 months. The number of returns in the following year has to be extrapolated using rates of return/rates of stay abroad from previous years. Cases of administrative deregistrations for an unknown destination are imputed into internal or international migration based on reregistration rates following administrative deregistration.
18.6. Adjustment
No adjustments of data at a macro level are applied.
See the table 3.4.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A - Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
See the table 3.4.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A - Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
If not otherwise stated, number of persons.
See the table 3.6 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
Population, live births and deaths data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail (NUTS3).
National data on divorces are by Länder (NUTS1) only.
Migration data according to the definition of usual residence is available at the national level.
Data on acquisition of citizenship available at national level.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December).
The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred.
The reference period for naturalizations is the year in which the naturalization certificate was issued.
For migration of non-nationals, the reference period is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.
For migration of nationals, the reference period is the year in which the migration event is reported in the national statistics. On the one hand, this includes late registrations of migration events from the previous year. On the other hand, late registrations of migrations events from the current year are not included.
See the table 13.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A See the table 13.1.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
Population: number of persons;
Live births: cases of live births;
Deaths: cases of deaths;
Legally induced abortions: cases of legally induced abortions;
Immigrants: Persons for non-nationals and immigration cases for nationals;
Emigrants: Persons for non-nationals and emigration cases for nationals;
Acquisitions of citizenship: Cases of acquisition of citizenship.
No further data compilation for vital events. Population data are compiled using the component method.
Immigrants:
A non-national with an arrival in Germany in the reference year is counted as an immigrant if there was no departure within 12 months after arrival and the last place of residence for at least 12 months was abroad. Estimations with previous year's rates of stay are necessary if there is less than 12 months between arrival date and the date of data delivery to the statistical office or if the sequence of arrivals and departures is not plausible.
A national with arrival in Germany in the reference year is counted as an immigrant if the duration of stay abroad was more than 12 months. Imputations are necessary for missing information on duration of stay abroad.
Emigrants:
Non nationals with a registered departure from Germany or an administrative deregistration in the reference year are counted as emigrants if there was no return to Germany within 12 months after arrival and the last place of residence for at least 12 months was in Germany. Estimations with previous year's rates of stay are necessary if there is less than 12 months between departure date and the date of data delivery to the statistical office or if the sequence of arrivals and departures is not plausible.
The number of nationals with a registered departure for abroad in the reference year is corrected for returns within 12 months. The number of returns in the following year has to be extrapolated using rates of return/rates of stay abroad from previous years. Cases of administrative deregistrations for an unknown destination are imputed into internal or international migration based on reregistration rates following administrative deregistration.
See the table 18.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A
Yearly.
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (In the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
Data collection is regulated at national level by federal laws. Data collection, validation and compilation is conducted by the statistical offices of the Länder using coherent methods, so that data are comparable between regional units.
