FALCON POWERS – Last year, Germany witnessed an unprecedented rise in the number of naturalizations, with 200,100 people obtaining German citizenship, the highest number recorded since the data series began in 2000. Compared to 2023, the number increased by 31,000 people, a 19 percent increase, as announced by the Federal Statistical Office on Tuesday.
According to the statistics, Syrians formed the largest group of naturalized citizens, with over a third (38 percent or 75,500 people) previously holding Syrian citizenship. Compared to the previous year, the number of naturalized Syrians increased by 27,100, a 56 percent increase in one year.
Majority of Naturalizations are Men
Among the naturalized citizens, 64 percent were men, living in Germany with an average residence period of around seven years, and with an average age of 24.5 years. This age is lower than the average age of all new citizens (29.3 years) and significantly lower than the overall population average (44.6 years).
Top Five Countries of Origin for Naturalizations
In addition to Syria, the top five countries of origin for naturalizations in 2023 were Turkey, Iraq, Romania, and Afghanistan. More than half of the new naturalized citizens (56 percent) came from these countries. The number of naturalized Turks and Iranians was 10,700. While the number of naturalized Iraqis increased by 3,900 (57 percent), the number of naturalized Turks decreased by 3,500 (25 percent).
Other Nationalities
As for Ukrainians, only 5,900 people obtained German citizenship in 2023, an increase of just 300 (6 percent), representing only 3 percent of the total naturalizations.
Changes in Citizenship Law
It should be noted that these statistics were collected according to the current Citizenship Act, which allows naturalization after eight years of residence in Germany. However, a simplified naturalization law will come into effect in June, which will allow obtaining German citizenship after just five years, and in some exceptional cases after three years.
