Two German regions have experienced a more significant population increase than Hamburg.

The Federal Statistical Office has released data on the net migration between the eastern federal states and West Germany, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa). This data spans over three decades, offering a comprehensive look at the movement of people between the two regions.

In 1991, around 165,000 people left the eastern federal states for the west in net terms. This trend has been consistent from 1991 to 2010, with the number of people moving from east to west consistently surpassing those moving in the opposite direction.

Movements to and from Berlin are not considered in this context.

The net migration from the eastern federal states to West Germany between 1991 and 2024 is estimated to be around 1.2 million. This figure is broken down into two periods: from 1991 to 2000, approximately 611,000 people emigrated from the eastern federal states to West Germany, and from 2001 to 2010, around 553,000 more people moved from east to west than the other way around.

The Federal Statistical Office attributes about half of the strong emigration from the east to the first ten years after reunification.

The population in East German states decreased by 16% from 1990 to 2024 due to significant outmigration, especially to West Germany, with about one million people moving westward. In contrast, the population in West German states grew by 10%, largely influenced by internal migration and better economic opportunities in states like Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

The number of people moving from the eastern federal states to West Germany has been higher than those moving in the opposite direction for over two decades. This trend has played a significant role in the population dynamics of both regions over the past three decades.