According to the latest election statistics from the Federal Statistical Office, the participation of younger voters in the 2025 federal election has increased more significantly than that of older voters.
Data reveals that the age group of 44 and under showed a substantial rise in voter turnout, with a 7.1 to 8.3 percentage point increase compared to the 2021 election. However, the 34 and under age group still had a lower voter turnout compared to the overall average. The age group of 21 to 24 had the lowest participation rate, at 78.3%.
In contrast, the age groups of 35 to 69 showed an above-average voter turnout, with the highest rate of 85.5% among the 50 to 69 age group. The oldest age group, 70 and over, continued a trend of decreasing voter turnout, with a rate of 79.3%, a decline since the 2017 federal election.
The statistics also show that, with the exception of the oldest age group, women participated in the election more frequently than men, with a greater difference in the younger age groups. In the 70 and over age group, the voter turnout of men was nearly at the national average, at 82.6%, while women in this age group had a lower turnout of 76.8%.
The age groups of 30 to 59 and 60 and over now make up a similar proportion of the electorate, with the former accounting for 44.4% and the latter for 42.6%. This demographic shift has increased the influence of the “60plus” generation on the election outcome, particularly in combination with their higher voter turnout.
No single party dominated across all age groups in terms of second votes. The Left party had the strongest support among the youngest voters, with 27.3% of all valid second votes, while the AfD led in the 25 to 44 age groups and the CDU and CSU in the older age groups.
The SPD received its strongest support from the 70 and over age group, with 24.9% of second votes, behind the CDU and CSU. The Greens achieved their best result in the 25 to 34 age group, with 15.9% of second votes, behind the AfD and the Left party.
In terms of gender, the SPD, the Greens, the Left party and the BSW received more second votes from women, while the CDU, CSU, FDP and AfD received more from men. If only the 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 age groups of men had voted, the FDP would have cleared the 5% threshold and participated in the seat allocation. If only women, excluding the 70 and over age group, or men between 18 and 34 had voted, the BSW would have been successful in entering the Bundestag. However, the below-average vote shares of the other age groups prevented this.