About 2.6 million people with a Turkish immigration history lived in Germany in 2025, representing 3.2% of the population. Of that total, roughly 1.5 million had migrated themselves, while 1.2 million were born in Germany.

The Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) reported the figures on Thursday, October 29, ahead of the 65th anniversary of the German-Turkish recruitment agreement signed on October 30, 1961. Around 125,000 former guest workers who arrived from Turkey between 1961 and the 1973 recruitment ban were still living in the country.

Turkey-born immigrants had spent an average of 32.4 years in Germany. Family-related reasons were the leading motive for migration, cited by 64%, while employment accounted for 15% and asylum or international protection for 10%.

Among immigrants from Turkey aged 15 to 64, 61% were employed in 2025, compared with 77% for Germany’s overall working-age population. People with Turkish immigration roots made up 3.5% of all employed residents in that age group and were particularly represented in cleaning, textile, leather and metal occupations.