In 2025, 25% of all employed people in Germany reported working from home at least occasionally. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), this figure was slightly higher than in 2024 (24%) and 2023 (23%).
The percentage of employed individuals working from home last year reached the level seen during the 2021 pandemic year. However, when comparing this to pre-pandemic levels, it shows that working from home has not become as established. In 2019, only 13% of employed people worked from home at least occasionally.
Overall, the utilization of working from home in 2025 was less comprehensive than during the pandemic. For instance, only about a quarter (24%) of home office users worked exclusively from home, similar to the previous year. Furthermore, 46% of employed individuals who used home office worked from home for less than half of their working days-a pattern consistent with 2024. In contrast, the heavily pandemic-influenced year of 2021 saw a much stronger shift towards remote work, where 40% of users worked entirely from home, and 31% worked from home less often than at their workplace.
The frequency with which employees work from home is influenced by various factors, such as company size or the employee’s age. The proportion of people working from home increases with company size: 19% of employees in small companies (up to 49 staff members) worked from home, compared to 23% in medium-sized companies (50 to 249 people). The highest rate was observed in large companies with at least 250 employees, with 35% working remotely.
Among employed individuals who occasionally work from home in 2025, the age group of 35 to 44 years had the highest proportion at 30%, followed by the 25 to 34 age group with 28%. The least frequent remote workers were those aged 15 to 24 (10%) and those aged 55 to 64 (22%). Different personal and occupational factors may play a role; for instance, professional training might limit remote work possibilities for younger employees, while by middle age, the need to balance professional and private commitments can lead to more frequent home office use.
Furthermore, industry strongly dictates how often employees work from home. The highest proportions in 2025 were in IT services, administration and company management, and management consulting, where nearly three-quarters (74%) of employed people worked from home at least occasionally. In information services, two-thirds (68%) utilized remote work, as did the insurance, reinsurance, and pension fund sectors (68%). Conversely, the gastronomy sector reported the lowest rate of work-from-home use, with only 6% of employees. Other sectors such as facility maintenance or landscaping (7%), car trade and repair (10%), and retail (10%) rarely involve remote work.
According to the statisticians, the rate of working from home in Germany in 2025 was slightly above the average of the 27 European Union member states. Data from the EU statistics agency Eurostat showed that the average across the EU for all employed persons aged 15 and over was 23% working from home at least occasionally. The highest rates were recorded in the Netherlands (52%), Sweden (45%), and Luxembourg (43%). The lowest percentages were seen in Romania and Bulgaria (both 4%) and Greece (7%).