Germany

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Germany|Germans}}

With a population of 80.2&nbsp;million according to the [[2011 German census]],<ref name="File 2013">{{cite web|url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressekonferenzen/2013/Zensus2011/bevoelkerung_zensus2011.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |title=Zensus 2011: Bevölkerung am 9. Mai 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010084809/https://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressekonferenzen/2013/Zensus2011/bevoelkerung_zensus2011.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |archivedate=10 October 2017|accessdate=1 June 2013|publisher=Destatis}}</ref> rising to 83.7&nbsp;million {{as of|2022|lc=y}},<ref name="2022pop">{{cite web|url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Bevoelkerungsstand/Tabellen/zensus-geschlecht-staatsangehoerigkeit-2022.html|title=Bevölkerung nach Geschlecht und Staatsangehörigkeit|accessdate=25 August 2022|website=Destatis|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823083410/https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Bevoelkerungsstand/Tabellen/zensus-geschlecht-staatsangehoerigkeit-2019.html|archivedate=23 August 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Germany is the most populous country in the European Union, the [[List of European countries by population|second-most populous country]] in Europe after [[Russia]],{{efn|Excluding [[Turkey]]}} and the [[List of countries by population|nineteenth-most populous country]] in the world. Its [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density|population density]] stands at {{convert|227|/km2|/mi2|disp=preunit|inhabitants&nbsp;|inhabitants|}}. The [[Total fertility rate|fertility rate]] of 1.57 children born per woman (2022 estimates) is below the replacement rate of 2.1 and is one of the [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories by fertility rate|lowest fertility rates in the world]].<ref name="CIA" /> Since the 1970s, Germany's [[death rate]] has exceeded its [[birth rate]]. However, Germany is witnessing increased birth rates and migration rates since the beginning of the 2010s. Germany has the [[List of countries by median age|third oldest population in the world]], with an average age of 47.4 years.<ref name="CIA" />
[[File:Bilinguale Straßenbeschilderung Cottbus.jpg|thumb|A bilingual street sign in both [[German language|German]] and [[Lower Sorbian language|Lower Sorbian]] in [[Cottbus]] (''Chóśebuz'') in [[Brandenburg]]]]
Four sizeable groups of people are referred to as national minorities because their ancestors have lived in their respective regions for centuries:<ref name="BMI 2010">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Broschueren/2010/nat_minderheiten.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |title=National Minorities in Germany |date=May 2010 |publisher=[[Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421151141/http://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Broschueren/2010/nat_minderheiten.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |archivedate=21 April 2013 |accessdate=23 June 2014}}</ref> There is a [[Danes|Danish]] minority in the northernmost state of [[Schleswig-Holstein]];<ref name="BMI 2010" /> the [[Sorbs]], a [[Slavic people|Slavic population]], are in the [[Lusatia]] region of [[Free State of Saxony|Saxony]] and [[Brandenburg]]; the [[Romani people|Roma]] and [[Sinti]] live throughout the country; and the [[Frisians]] are concentrated in Schleswig-Holstein's western coast and in the north-western part of [[Lower Saxony]].<ref name="BMI 2010" />

After the United States, Germany is the second-most popular [[Immigration to Germany|immigration destination]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Webb |first=Alex |date=20 May 2014 |title=Germany Top Migration Land After U.S. in New OECD Ranking |work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-05-20/immigration-boom-propels-germany-past-u-k-in-new-oecd-ranking |archive-date=17 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317014944/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-05-20/immigration-boom-propels-germany-past-u-k-in-new-oecd-ranking |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, following the [[2015 European migrant crisis|2015 refugee crisis]], the Population Division of the [[United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs]] listed Germany as host to the [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories by immigrant population|second-highest number of international migrants worldwide]], about 5% or 12&nbsp;million of all 244&nbsp;million migrants.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/publications/migrationreport/docs/MigrationReport2015_Highlights.pdf |title=International Migration Report 2015 – Highlights |year=2015 |publisher=United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513001608/http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/publications/migrationreport/docs/MigrationReport2015_Highlights.pdf |archivedate=13 May 2016 |accessdate=9 June 2016}}</ref> Refugee crises have resulted in substantial population increases. For example, the major influx of Ukrainian immigrants following the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], meaning over 1.06&nbsp;million refugees from Ukraine were recorded in Germany as of April 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Current population |url=https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Current-Population/_node.html |date=20 June 2023 |publisher=Federal Statistical Office |archive-date=26 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826024032/https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Current-Population/_node.html |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, Germany ranks seventh among EU countries in terms of the percentage of migrants in the country's population, at 13.1%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.oecd.org/migration/foreign-population.htm#indicator-chart|publisher=OECD|title=Foreign population|accessdate=28 October 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313152632/https://data.oecd.org/migration/foreign-population.htm#indicator-chart|archivedate=13 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022, there were 23.8 million people, 28.7 percent of the total population, who had a migration background.<ref>{{cite web|date=20 April 2023|publisher=Statistisches Bundesamt|title=Pressemitteilung Nr. 158 vom 20. April 2023|url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2023/04/PD23_158_125.html|archive-date=7 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107012216/https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2023/04/PD23_158_125.html|url-status=live}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

Germany has a number of large [[List of cities and towns in Germany|cities]]. There are 11 officially recognised [[metropolitan regions in Germany|metropolitan regions]]. The country's largest city is [[Berlin]], while its largest urban area is the [[Ruhr]].<ref name="Demographia">[http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf Demographia: World Urban Areas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503021711/http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |date=3 May 2018 }}. Retrieved 31 July 2016.</ref>
{{Largest cities of Germany}}

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Germany}}
{{See also|Catholic Church in Germany|Protestant Church in Germany|Irreligion in Germany|Islam in Germany|Judaism in Germany}}

[[File:500px photo (70560973).jpeg|thumb|[[Cologne Cathedral]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]]]
According to the 2011 census, Christianity was the largest religion in Germany, with 66.8% of respondents identifying as Christian, of which 3.8% were not church members.<ref name="Egeler">{{Cite web |url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressekonferenzen/2013/Zensus2011/Statement_Egeler_zensus_PDF.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |title=Pressekonferenz "Zensus 2011 – Fakten zur Bevölkerung in Deutschland" am 31. Mai 2013 in Berlin |publisher=[[Federal Statistical Office of Germany]] |pages=9–11 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010094954/https://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressekonferenzen/2013/Zensus2011/Statement_Egeler_zensus_PDF.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |archivedate=10 October 2017}}</ref> 31.7% declared themselves as [[Protestantism in Germany|Protestants]], including members of the [[Protestant Church in Germany]] (which encompasses [[Lutheran]], [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]], and administrative or confessional [[United and uniting churches|unions of both traditions]]) and the [[free churches]] ({{lang|de|Evangelische Freikirchen}}); 31.2% declared themselves as [[Roman Catholicism in Germany|Roman Catholics]], and [[Eastern Orthodox|Orthodox]] believers constituted 1.3%. According to data from 2016, the Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church claimed 28.5% and 27.5%, respectively, of the population.<ref name="Eck16">{{cite web|url=http://www.dbk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/diverse_downloads/presse_2017/2017-121a-Flyer-Eckdaten-Kirchenstatistik-2016.pdf |title=Official membership statistics of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010074912/http://www.dbk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/diverse_downloads/presse_2017/2017-121a-Flyer-Eckdaten-Kirchenstatistik-2016.pdf |archivedate=10 October 2017 |accessdate= 20 June 2017|publisher=Sekretariat der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz}}</ref><ref name="EKD2017">{{cite web|url= http://archiv.ekd.de/download/broschuere_2017_internet.pdf|title= Official membership statistics of the Evangelical Church in Germany 2016|accessdate= 5 June 2017|publisher= Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20171010075258/http://archiv.ekd.de/download/broschuere_2017_internet.pdf|archivedate= 10 October 2017|url-status= live}}</ref> [[Islam in Germany|Islam]] is the second-largest religion in the country.<ref name="Zensus 2011">{{Cite web |url=https://ergebnisse.zensus2011.de/#StaticContent:00,BEG_4_2_6,m,table |title=Bevölkerung im regionalen Vergleich nach Religion (ausführlich) -in %- |date=9 May 2011 |website=Zensus 2011 |publisher=[[Federal Statistical Office of Germany]] |page=Zensus 2011 – Page 6 |language=German |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621101339/https://ergebnisse.zensus2011.de/#StaticContent:00,BEG_4_2_6,m,table |archivedate=21 June 2013 }}</ref>

In the 2011 census, 1.9% of respondents (1.52&nbsp;million people) gave their religion as Islam, but this figure is deemed unreliable because a disproportionate number of adherents of this faith (and other religions, such as Judaism) are likely to have made use of their right not to answer the question.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Zensus 2011 – Fakten zur Bevölkerung in Deutschland" am 31. Mai 2013 in Berlin |publisher=[[Federal Statistical Office of Germany]] |url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressekonferenzen/2013/Zensus2011/Statement_Egeler_zensus_PDF.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |language=German |accessdate=28 September 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010094954/https://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressekonferenzen/2013/Zensus2011/Statement_Egeler_zensus_PDF.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |archivedate=10 October 2017 |trans-title=2011 Census – Facts about the population of Germany on 31 May 2013 in Berlin |url-status=live}}</ref> Most of the Muslims are [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] and [[Alevites]] from Turkey, but there are a small number of [[Shia Islam|Shi'ites]], [[Ahmadiyya]]s and other denominations. Other religions comprise less than one per cent of Germany's population.<ref name="Zensus 2011" />

In 2011, formal members of the Jewish community represented no more than 0.2% of the total German population, and 60% of them resided in [[Berlin]].<ref>{{cite news|title= Germany: Berlin Facing Challenge Of Assimilating Russian-Speaking Jews |newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=8 April 2008 |url=http://www.rferl.org/a/1078688.html|publisher=Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty|access-date=12 March 2017}}</ref> An estimated 80 to 90 percent of these Jews in Germany are Russian-speaking immigrants from the [[Post-Soviet states|former Soviet Union]], who came to Germany from the 1980s onwards.<ref>{{cite web|title=German Jews more than victims, community head says|url= http://jewishjournal.com/news/world/86509/|publisher=Jewish Journal|date=5 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Jewish Berlin: Myths and Fragmentation|url=http://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledgebase/109-jewish-berlin-myths-and-fragmentation|publisher=Humanity in Action|access-date=12 March 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313043802/http://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledgebase/109-jewish-berlin-myths-and-fragmentation |archive-date=13 March 2017}}</ref>

A study in 2018 estimated that 38% of the population are not members of any religious organization or [[religious denomination|denomination]],<ref name="FOWID">{{Cite web |url=https://fowid.de/meldung/religionszugehoerigkeiten-2018 |title=Religionszugehörigkeiten 2018 |date=25 July 2019 |website=Forschungsgruppe Weltanschauungen in Deutschland |language=de |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725164543/https://fowid.de/meldung/religionszugehoerigkeiten-2018 |archivedate=25 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> though up to a third may still consider themselves religious. [[Irreligion in Germany]] is strongest in the former [[East Germany]], which used to be predominantly Protestant before the enforcement of [[state atheism]], and in major metropolitan areas.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2012/sep/22/atheism-east-germany-godless-place |title=Eastern Germany: the most godless place on Earth |last=Thompson|first=Peter |date=22 September 2012 |work=The Guardian|url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929114047/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2012/sep/22/atheism-east-germany-godless-place |archivedate=29 September 2013 }}</ref><ref name="georgetown1">{{Cite web |url=http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/germany |title=Germany |publisher=[[Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324170951/http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/germany |archivedate=24 March 2015 |accessdate=27 March 2015}}</ref>

=== Languages ===

{{Main|German language|Languages of Germany}}

German is the official and predominantly spoken language in Germany.<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages">{{Cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf |title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Survey) |year=2006 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414102658/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf |archivedate=14 April 2016 |accessdate=28 March 2011}}<br />{{Cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf |title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Executive Summary) |last=[[European Commission]] |year=2006 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430202903/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf |archivedate=30 April 2011 |accessdate=28 March 2011}}</ref> It is one of 24 official and working languages of the European Union, and one of the three procedural languages of the [[European Commission]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_13_825|title=Frequently asked questions on languages in Europe|date=26 September 2013|publisher=European Commission|accessdate=5 July 2020|archivedate=5 July 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705223150/https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_13_825|url-status=live}}</ref> German is the most widely spoken first language in the European Union, with around 100 million native speakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/culture/the-german-language-surprising-facts-and-figures|title=The German Language|date=20 February 2018|publisher=FAZIT Communication GmbH|accessdate=5 July 2020|archivedate=2 October 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002203206/https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/culture/the-german-language-surprising-facts-and-figures|url-status=live}}</ref>

Recognised native minority languages in Germany are [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Low German]], [[Low Rhenish]], [[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]], [[Romani language|Romani]], [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] and [[Saterland Frisian language|Saterland Frisian]]; they are officially protected by the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]]. The most used immigrant languages are [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Arabic]], [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Serbo-Croatian]], [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] and other [[Balkan languages]], as well as [[Russian language|Russian]]. Germans are typically multilingual: 67% of German citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language and 27% in at least two.<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages" />

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Germany}}
[[File:Heidelberg Universitätsbibliothek 2003.jpg|thumb|[[Heidelberg University]], Germany's oldest institution of higher learning and generally considered one of its most renowned]]
Responsibility for educational supervision in Germany is primarily organised within the individual [[States of Germany|states]]. Optional [[kindergarten]] education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which [[Schulpflicht|school attendance is compulsory]] for at least nine years depending on the state. Primary education usually lasts for four to six years.<ref name="ED">{{Cite web |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Germany.pdf |title=Country profile: Germany |date=April 2008 |publisher=Library of Congress |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427060904/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Germany.pdf |archivedate=27 April 2011 |accessdate=28 March 2011}}</ref> Secondary schooling is divided into tracks based on whether students pursue [[college-preparatory school|academic]] or [[vocational education]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wenr.wes.org/2016/11/education-in-germany|title=Education in Germany|author=Trines, Stefan|date=8 November 2016|website=World Education News and Reviews|accessdate=5 July 2020|archivedate=5 April 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405120422/https://wenr.wes.org/2016/11/education-in-germany|url-status=live}}</ref> A system of apprenticeship called {{lang|de|[[Dual education system|Duale Ausbildung]]}} leads to a skilled qualification which is almost comparable to an academic degree. It allows students in [[vocational training]] to learn in a company as well as in a state-run trade school.<ref name="ED" /> This model is well regarded and reproduced all around the world.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4f43b5c4-a32b-11e1-8f34-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2RApE4hJA |title=A German model goes global |website=Financial Times |date=21 May 2012 |url-access=registration |accessdate=28 September 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728095341/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4f43b5c4-a32b-11e1-8f34-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2RApE4hJA |archivedate=28 July 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Most of the [[List of universities in Germany|German universities]] are public institutions, and students traditionally study without fee payment.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://theconversation.com/should-we-follow-the-german-way-of-free-higher-education-23970 |title=Should we follow the German way of free higher education? |first1=Tim |last1=Pitman |date=18 March 2014 |work=The Conversation |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318031926/http://theconversation.com/should-we-follow-the-german-way-of-free-higher-education-23970 |archivedate=18 March 2014 |last2=Hannah Forsyth}}</ref> The general requirement for attending university is the {{lang|de|[[Abitur]]}}. According to an OECD report in 2014, Germany is the world's third leading destination for international study.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/germany/growing-popularity-international-study-germany |title=The Growing Popularity of International Study in Germany |first=Laura|last=Bridgestock |date=13 November 2014 |website=QS Topuniversities |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413063050/http://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/germany/growing-popularity-international-study-germany |archivedate=13 April 2016}}</ref> The established universities in Germany include some of the [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest in the world]], with [[Heidelberg University]] (established in 1386), [[Leipzig University]] (established in 1409) and the [[University of Rostock]] (established in 1419) being the oldest.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/university/rankings/ |title=Rankings: Universität Heidelberg in International Comparison|publisher=Universität Heidelberg |first=Björn |last=Bertram |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921065348/http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/university/rankings/ |archivedate=21 September 2014 |accessdate=28 September 2014}}</ref> The [[Humboldt University of Berlin]], founded in 1810 by the liberal educational reformer [[Wilhelm von Humboldt]], became the academic [[Humboldtian model of higher education|model for many Western universities]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/humboldt-university-berlin|website=Times Higher Education|title=Humboldt University of Berlin|accessdate=5 July 2020|archivedate=15 June 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615201758/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/humboldt-university-berlin|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drc.uns.ac.rs/presentations/05_DS/03-Prof.Dr.HeinrichKern.pdf|website=26th Annual Meeting of the Danube Rectors Conference|title=Humboldt's educational ideal and modern academic education|author=Kern, Heinrich|year=2010|accessdate=5 July 2020|archivedate=24 February 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224180046/http://www.drc.uns.ac.rs/presentations/05_DS/03-Prof.Dr.HeinrichKern.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In the contemporary era Germany has developed eleven [[German Universities Excellence Initiative|Universities of Excellence]].

=== Health ===
{{Main|Healthcare in Germany}}
[[File:Heiligen-Geist-Hospital in Lübeck.JPG|thumb|The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in [[Lübeck]], established in 1286, is a precursor to modern [[hospital]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.luebeck-tourism.de/discover/sights/hospital-of-the-holy-spirit.html |title=Hospital of the Holy Spirit Lübeck |publisher=Lübeck + Travemünde |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215044833/http://www.luebeck-tourism.de/discover/sights/hospital-of-the-holy-spirit.html |archivedate=15 December 2014 |accessdate=12 December 2014}}</ref>]]

Germany's system of hospitals, called {{lang|de|Krankenhäuser}}, dates from medieval times, and today, Germany has the world's oldest [[universal health care]] system, dating from [[Otto von Bismarck#Social legislation|Bismarck's social legislation]] of the 1880s.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/80776/E68952.pdf |title=Health Care Systems in Transition: Germany |publisher=European Observatory on Health Care Systems |year=2000 |page=8|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513054407/http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/80776/E68952.pdf |archivedate=13 May 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the 1880s, reforms and provisions have ensured a balanced health care system. The population is covered by a health insurance plan provided by statute, with criteria allowing some groups to opt for a private health insurance contract. According to the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO), Germany's [[health care system]] was 77% government-funded and 23% privately funded {{as of|2013|lc=on}}.<ref name="health">{{Cite web |url=http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.country.country-DEU?lang=en |title=Germany statistics summary (2002–present) |publisher=World Health Organization |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160606194340/http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.country.country-DEU?lang=en |archivedate=6 June 2016 |accessdate=4 June 2016}}</ref> In 2014, Germany spent 11.3% of its GDP on health care.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.TOTL.ZS |title=Health expenditure, total (% of GDP) |date=1 January 2016 |publisher=World Bank |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130122558/http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.TOTL.ZS |archivedate=30 January 2017}}</ref>

Germany ranked 21st in the world in 2019 in life expectancy with [[List of countries by life expectancy|78.7 years for men and 84.8 years for women]] according to the WHO, and it had a very low [[infant mortality rate]] (4 per 1,000 [[Live birth (human)|live births]]). {{As of|2019|alt=In 2019}}, the principal cause of death was cardiovascular disease, at 37%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/419459/Country-Health-Profile-2019-Germany.pdf?ua=1|publisher=WHO|title=Germany Country Health Profile 2019|accessdate=9 March 2020|archivedate=20 June 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620152704/https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/419459/Country-Health-Profile-2019-Germany.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Obesity in Germany]] has been increasingly cited as a major health issue. A 2014 study showed that 52 per cent of the adult German population was overweight or obese.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Overweight_and_obesity_-_BMI_statistics|title=Overweight and obesity – BMI statistics|website=Eurostat|accessdate=14 March 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325112121/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Overweight_and_obesity_-_BMI_statistics|archivedate=25 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>