📜 A long story
Germany, 1800 → today
Germany grew from 18 million in 1800 to 84.6 million; a newborn can expect 43 more years of life than in 1875, and output per person is 26× its 1800 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 18 million people lived in Germany.
1900
55.8 million people.
3.1× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1860.
1950
69.9 million people.
1.3× the 1900 level
2023
84.6 million people, the latest year in this series.
1.2× the 1950 level
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1875
In 1875, a newborn in Germany could expect to live 38.4 years, on average.
1895
42.4 years.
+4 years since 1875
Passed 40 years in 1895 (no data between 1885 and 1895, so it may have happened earlier).
1950
66.8 years.
+24 years since 1895
Passed 50 years in 1925 (no data between 1915 and 1925, so it may have happened earlier).
Passed 60 years in 1935 (no data between 1925 and 1935, so it may have happened earlier).
2023
81.4 years, the latest year in this series.
+15 years since 1950
Passed 70 years in 1962.
Passed 80 years in 2010.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1800
In 1800, Germany produced about Int$1,790 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$4,760.
2.7× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1887.
1950
Int$6,190.
1.3× the 1900 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1941.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 64% between 1944 and 1946 (Int$9,700 → Int$3,530).
2022
Int$46,600, the latest year in this series.
7.5× the 1950 level
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1972.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 2005.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1800
In 1800, fossil fuels and industry in Germany emitted about 0.044 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
5.9 t.
133× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1807.
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1839.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1850.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1857.
Reached 50 times the 1800 level in 1872.
1950
7.3 t.
1.2× the 1900 level
The sharpest fall in the data: down 83% between 1943 and 1945 (9.5 t → 1.6 t).
2024
6.8 t, the latest year in this series.
about the same as in 1950
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Germany had spent 2.2 years in school, on average.
1900
3.5 years.
+1.3 years since 1870
1950
7.2 years.
+3.7 years since 1900
Passed 4 years in 1915.
Passed 6 years in 1940.
2015
12.9 years, the latest year in this series.
+5.7 years since 1950
Passed 8 years in 1990.
Passed 10 years in 2000.
Passed 12 years in 2005.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).