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Germany · state

Schleswig-Holstein population 2026

Schleswig-Holstein has 2,959,517 people on the latest official figure, for 1 January 2025, 6,315 more than a year earlier (+0.21%). It is 9th of Germany’s 16 states by population, home to 3.5% of Germany’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 3 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Schleswig-Holstein in numbers

Population
3 million 1 January 2025
Change in a year
+0.21% +6,315 people
Change since 2020
+1.92% from 2.9 million
Share of Germany
3.5% 9th of 16 states
Population density
187per km² 15,804 km²

That is about as many people as Moldova (3 million).

Population of Schleswig-Holstein by year

Population of Schleswig-Holstein
3M
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
20122,802,266
20142,815,955
20152,830,864
20162,858,714
20172,881,926
20182,889,821
20192,896,712
20202,903,773
20212,910,875
20222,922,005
20232,939,283
20242,953,202
20252,959,517
YearPopulationChange
2025 2,959,517 +6,315
2024 2,953,202 +13,919
2023 2,939,283 +17,278
2022 2,922,005 +11,130
2021 2,910,875 +7,102
2020 2,903,773 +7,061
2019 2,896,712 +6,891
2018 2,889,821 +7,895
2017 2,881,926 +23,212
2016 2,858,714 +27,850
2015 2,830,864 +14,909
2014 2,815,955 –
2012 2,802,266 –

Schleswig-Holstein 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 Schleswig-Holstein

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

  1. Kiel252,668
  2. Lübeck212,207
  3. Flensburg85,838
  4. Norderstedt82,844
  5. Neumünster80,196
  6. Elmshorn48,703

Questions

What is the population of Schleswig-Holstein in 2026?
The latest official figure is 2,959,517, for 1 January 2025 (Eurostat). If last year’s change continues, Schleswig-Holstein would have about 3 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year.

Is Schleswig-Holstein’s population growing or shrinking?
It grew by 6,315 people (+0.21%) in the latest year, and has changed +1.92% since 2020.

How does Schleswig-Holstein rank in Germany?
Schleswig-Holstein is 9th of Germany’s 16 states, with 3.5% of the people. North Rhine-Westphalia is the largest, with 18 million.

What is the population density of Schleswig-Holstein?
About 187 people per km², on 15,804 km². Total area, Wikidata.

What is the largest city in Schleswig-Holstein?
Kiel, with about 253 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: Schleswig-Holstein population, Eurostat, 1 January 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/germany/schleswig-holstein/

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