Germany Sees Record Number of Naturalizations in 2024
According to the Federal Statistical Office, a record 291,955 foreigners acquired German citizenship in 2024, a significant increase of 91,860 or nearly 50% compared to the previous year. This marks a new high since the introduction of the statistics in the year 2000.
In 2024, the majority of naturalizations, or 83,150, were granted to individuals of Syrian nationality, accounting for nearly a quarter of all naturalizations. This was followed by individuals of Turkish, Iraqi, Russian and Afghan nationality, in that order.
The number of naturalizations of Russian nationals saw a particularly significant increase, rising from approximately 1,995 in 2023 to 12,980 in 2024, a sixfold increase of 551%. The number of naturalizations of Turkish nationals more than doubled, rising by 11,790 or 110%, making it the second-largest group of naturalizations.
New legislation, effective as of June 27, 2024, has simplified the naturalization process, allowing for the possibility of naturalization after a five-year residence period, down from eight years previously. The law also allows for the retention of the previous nationality.
The majority of naturalizations, at 86%, were granted under Section 10, Paragraph 1 of the German Citizenship Act, with a further 7% granted to individuals with exceptional integration achievements. In contrast, in 2023, 67% of naturalizations were granted under the same section, with 22% granted to individuals with exceptional integration achievements.
The average residence period in Germany at the time of naturalization was 11.8 years, with Syrian nationals having an average residence period of 7.4 years and Turkish nationals having an average residence period of 23.1 years.
The naturalization rate, which shows the proportion of people with a specific nationality who acquired German citizenship in a given year, was highest among stateless individuals, at 22% and lowest among Turkish nationals, at 2%.