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Day-to-day life in Germany

Topics on this page

Food and drink in Germany

Travel and accommodation in Germany

Flugzeug hebt ab
Getting around in Germany
From visa to voltage: Useful information and important telephone numbers for travellers in Germany
JDH
Youth hostels in Germany
The youth hostel is an idea “made in Germany”. Germany’s youth hostels offer guests stays in special places.
Die DJH freut sich auf die Weltkonferenz der Jugendherbergen 2024. Travel
Youth hostels
Youth hostels – a meeting place to relax and engage in dialogue
A German educator had the vision of a youth hostel more than a hundred years ago. Today there are more than 400 such facilities in Germany.
49 € Ticket Deutschland-Ticket One ticket for the whole country.
Jugendherberge Beckerwitz - Hostels Accommodation in Germany

Music and new friends

treffen
How and where can I get to know people?
New to a German city? We'll show you the quickest way to make contacts and where you can meet people.
Auf Partys laufen Songs, die über Social Media zum Hit werden. Youth culture
Techno, rap, pop
This is the music German teenagers listen to
Music is a vital element in the lives of lots of young people. Here you can find out which music genres are particularly popular among young people in Germany.
Hörtraum: Gitarrenklänge, dazu das Rauschen von Wind und Wasser.
Delightful sounds
What Germans like and don’t like to listen to – a foray into some of the tops and flops of the worlds of sound

Family, children and housing in Germany

So wohnen Deutsche: Das deutsche Durchschnittswohnzimmer. Housing Living Discovering German living rooms
Selbstbewusst: Kinder wissen, was sie wollen What makes children tick?
Quiz
What do you know about young people in Germany?
Jugendliche
How many people aged between 15 and 24 are there living in Germany?
Jugendliche
Which values are most important to young people?
Jugendliche
What do young people in Germany see as the major issue?
Jugendliche
How many young Germans take the Abitur (school leaving exam) each year?
Jugendliche
Which social platform is the most popular with Generation Z?
Jugendliche
What do young people in Germany enjoy doing most in their leisure time?
Jugendliche
This is the music German teenagers listen to
Songs that become hits on social media are played at parties.

Music is a vital element in the lives of lots of young people. Here you can find out which music genres are particularly popular among young people in Germany  

Find out more

Children in Germany – quick facts

10.5 million children currently live in Germany.
6 is the usual age at which kids start school.
18 is the age of legal majority.
72 percent of children live with both parents in the same household.
24 percent have no siblings.
40 percent of children under five come from a migrant background.

Life in the city and in the country

Alleen sind ein Markenzeichen Brandenburgs. Where the countryside lives and breathes
Landleben Yen for country life

Quick facts

77 percent of Germans live in cities or urban areas.
15 percent of Germans live in villages with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.
79 large cities are to be found in Germany. These are cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants.
4 very large cities with over a million inhabitants are to be found in Germany: Berlin (3.5 m), Hamburg (1.7 m), Munich (1.4 m) and Cologne (1.05 m)
9 people live in Germany’s smallest independent municipality, Hallig Gröde.
44 percent of Germans would prefer to live in the countryside.

How to – tips for day-to-day life

Facts and figures about day-to-day life in Germany

Fast drei Millionen Menschen in Deutschland studieren. Youth culture
Facts and figures
Young people in Germany
Facts and figures: How many young people live at home? How many are doing an apprenticeship? Answers to the six most important questions about young people.
Blindenleitsysteme ermöglichen eine selbständige Mobilität. Inclusion:
Participation
Inclusion in facts and figures
How many people with a disability live in Germany? How are they supported? Facts and figures about inclusion and participation.
Freiwilliges Engagement gibt es auch bei der Feuerwehr. Volunteering
Democracy in action
Millions of Germans get involved in voluntary work in their free time - facts and figures about their commitment.

Quick facts

61 per cent of young people in Germany are optimistic about their personal future.
90 per cent believe that family and children should not get a raw deal at work.
64 per cent of young people would like to have children later on.
89 per cent consider it especially important to have good friends.
64 per cent attach importance to respect and order.
31 per cent of the 14 to 17 year olds in Germany are interested in politics. 
68 per cent of 14 to 17 year olds consider democracy the best form of government.
Eindrucksvolles Panorama: Berchtesgaden und der Watzmann Holidaying in Germany
Das Handy der Babyboomer: die Telefonzelle My Generation

Quick facts

41 million women live in Germany – two million more than men.
83.2 years is the life expectancy of women in Germany.
75 percent of women aged 20 to 64 work.
50 percent of university graduates in Germany are women.
44 percent of Germany’s government cabinet are women.
1.6 children are brought into the world by each woman in Germany, statistically speaking.

Motorways in Germany

Celebrations in Germany

Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt Christmas
Christmas markets
Magical Christmas markets
Germany’s cities are filled with the glitter and aromas of Christmas. Six popular German Christmas markets – and what makes them so special.
Wie deutsche Weihnachten feiern: Alles was ihr über deutsche Weihnachtstraditionen wissen müsst. Christmas
Traditions
How Christmas is celebrated in Germany
Spending Christmas with the Germans: Which rituals are important and why potato salad is part of a traditional celebration.
Weihnachtsmärkte gibt es in der Adventszeit überall in Deutschland. Christmas
Tips from expats
Expats experience the Advent season
How do German Christmas newbies feel? Expats talk about their experiences.

... and what about love?

Hand in Hand: Die Lebensformen werden pluraler In love, engaged, married
Anziehungskraft: Die Deutschen finden vieles attraktiv What we desire