URBANIZATION AND URBAN POPULATION IN GERMANY

The relevance of the study lies in the fact that urbanization has a great impact on the socio-economic development of Germany. The economic and political processes taking place in the country are directly dependent on population growth, the share of different age groups in the total population, as well as the intensity of migration processes.
The purpose of the article is to assess the level of urbanization in Germany at the present stage.
Methods: comparative analysis of statistical and scientific data.
Results. The reasons for the current level of urbanization in Germany and its types are considered; the classification of cities and municipalities is presented; statistical indicators of the number and density of the population for all states of West and East Germany for the period 2012–2021 are given and analyzed; the influence of internal and external migration on population density is considered; the main reasons for the increase and decrease in the population in individual states are identified; the changes in the percentage of people in different age groups occurred for 1990 to 2020 and their impact on the German urban population are analyzed; the advantages of living in large and medium-sized cities compared to rural areas are presented; population growth rates in 15 large German cities are estimated.
The conclusion is formulated about the high degree of urbanization in Germany, about the attenuation of the suburbanization and the expansion of reurbanization; the attractiveness of large cities for living, which are points of growth and development of the country's economy; about the aging and shrinking of the German population due to low birth rates and the partial slowdown of these processes due to the influx of migrants.