United Kingdom vs Germany: population
How United Kingdom and Germany compare in population today and out to 2100, side by side, from UN World Population Prospects 2024.
United Kingdom and Germany population, 2000-2100
Lines cross around 2059
Side by side
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Population today | 69.7 million | 83.7 million |
| Population 2050 | 75.4 million | 78.4 million |
| Population 2100 | 74.4 million | 70.9 million |
| World rank | #22 | #19 |
| Peak year | 2073 | 2024 |
| Median age (2024) | 40 | 45 |
| Fertility rate (2024) | 1.55 | 1.45 |
| Life expectancy (2024) | 81 yrs | 82 yrs |
| Density (per km²) | 288 | 240 |
Why this comparison matters
Germany has long been Western Europe's most populous country, well ahead of the United Kingdom, but that lead is shrinking. Germany's population has begun to decline while the UK's keeps growing on the back of immigration, and the projections show the UK closing the gap and overtaking Germany before the end of the century.
United Kingdom vs Germany, explained
Today Germany is the larger of the two, with about 83.7 million people against United Kingdom's 69.7 million. United Kingdom is the world's 22nd most populous country and Germany the 19th.
Their paths to 2100 differ. United Kingdom edges higher over the century, moving from about 68.9 million to 74.4 million (+7.9%). Germany declines, going from 84.7 million to 70.9 million (-16.3%).
The two cross over: United Kingdom is projected to overtake Germany around 2059, when both sit near 76.0 million people. It is one of the clearer signals of how the global ranking is being rewritten.
The deeper contrast is age and fertility. United Kingdom has a median age near 40 and 1.55 births per woman, against Germany's 45 and 1.45. All figures follow the UN's medium-variant projection.