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Germany · state

Lower Saxony population 2026

Niedersachsen

Lower Saxony has 8,004,489 people on the latest official figure, for 1 January 2025, 3,646 fewer than a year earlier (−0.05%). It is 4th of Germany’s 16 states by population, home to 9.6% of Germany’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 8 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Lower Saxony in numbers

Population
8 million 1 January 2025
Change in a year
−0.05% −3,646 people
Change since 2020
+0.14% from 8 million
Share of Germany
9.6% 4th of 16 states
Population density
168per km² 47,614 km²

That is about as many people as Laos (8 million).

Population of Lower Saxony by year

Population of Lower Saxony
8M
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
20127,774,253
20147,790,559
20157,826,739
20167,926,599
20177,945,685
20187,962,775
20197,982,448
20207,993,608
20218,003,421
20228,027,031
20237,982,947
20248,008,135
20258,004,489
YearPopulationChange
2025 8,004,489 −3,646
2024 8,008,135 +25,188
2023 7,982,947 −44,084
2022 8,027,031 +23,610
2021 8,003,421 +9,813
2020 7,993,608 +11,160
2019 7,982,448 +19,673
2018 7,962,775 +17,090
2017 7,945,685 +19,086
2016 7,926,599 +99,860
2015 7,826,739 +36,180
2014 7,790,559 –
2012 7,774,253 –

Lower Saxony among Germany’s states

Full ranking →
States of Germany by population
#
1 North Rhine-Westphalia18,034,454+0.09%
2 Bavaria13,248,928+0.55%
3 Baden-Württemberg11,245,898+0.14%
4 Lower Saxony8,004,489−0.05%
5 Hesse6,280,793+0.21%
6 Rhineland-Palatinate4,129,569+0.11%
7 Saxony4,042,422−0.30%
8 Berlin3,685,265+0.63%
9 Schleswig-Holstein2,959,517+0.21%
10 Brandenburg2,556,747+0.09%
11 Saxony-Anhalt2,135,597−0.42%
12 Thuringia2,100,277−0.69%
13 Hamburg1,862,565+0.59%
14 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern1,573,597−0.28%
15 Saarland1,012,141−0.19%
16 Bremen704,881+0.32%

Largest cities in Lower Saxony

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

  1. Hannover515,140
  2. Braunschweig244,715
  3. Osnabrück166,462
  4. Oldenburg159,218
  5. Wolfsburg123,064
  6. Göttingen122,149

Questions

What is the population of Lower Saxony in 2026?
The latest official figure is 8,004,489, for 1 January 2025 (Eurostat). If last year’s change continues, Lower Saxony would have about 8 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year.

Is Lower Saxony’s population growing or shrinking?
It shrank by 3,646 people (−0.05%) in the latest year, and has changed +0.14% since 2020.

How does Lower Saxony rank in Germany?
Lower Saxony is 4th of Germany’s 16 states, with 9.6% of the people. North Rhine-Westphalia is the largest, with 18 million.

What is the population density of Lower Saxony?
About 168 people per km², on 47,614 km². Total area, Wikidata.

What is the largest city in Lower Saxony?
Hannover, with about 515 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

Eurostat, population on 1 January by NUTS region (demo_r_d2jan). Eurostat reuse policy (CC BY 4.0). Total area, Wikidata. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for Germany, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Lower Saxony population, Eurostat, 1 January 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/germany/lower-saxony/

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