Society and media landscape in Germany

In Germany, a country with around 84.7 million inhabitants and a diverse cultural and linguistic landscape, social factors characterise the media landscape just as much as the media influence society. The population structure, languages, ethnic groups and religions, the urban-rural divide, education and media literacy, trust in journalists and the media as well as public safety all play important roles. 

Although the reunification of East and West Germany took place in the 1990s, the effects of the division of the country after the Second World War can still be seen within society today. 

The federal structure of the Federal Republic of Germany is special. It consists of 16 federal states, each with their own constitutions, parliaments and administrative structures. This federal system is enshrined in the Basic Law and guarantees a division of state power between the federal government and the federal states. The federal states have far-reaching responsibilities in areas such as education, culture and internal security, while the federal government is only active in those areas that are explicitly assigned to it in the Basic Law.

A special aspect of German federalism is that the press is a matter for the federal states. This means that the regulations on press freedom and media policy are the responsibility of the individual federal states. This decentralisation allows the federal states to enact their own media laws and shape press freedom within their borders.

Population, demographics and language

Germany has a population of around 84.7 million people (as of 2023) - 42.9 million are women and 41.8 million are men. These figures vary slightly due to births, deaths and migration. The birth rate is low and the country is heavily reliant on immigration to counteract demographic change and the shortage of skilled labour. On average, every woman gives birth to 1.46 children. This will also be the average in the European Union in 2022. Germany has one of the oldest populations in the world, with a median age of around 44.9 years (2023). In comparison, the median age in the European Union (EU) is 44.5 years.

The proportion of foreigners, i.e. people without German citizenship, in the German population is 14.6 per cent. Around 5.1 million people come from other European Union countries. Other important countries of origin are EU candidate countries (3.7 million), Turkey (1.5 million), Ukraine (1.2 million), Syria (1 million), Afghanistan (0.4 million) and the Russian Federation (0.3 million). 

The official language - which is also Germany's only official language - is German, which is spoken by almost the entire population (95 per cent).  Nevertheless, various dialects, regiolects and dialects are spoken, which are variations of the classical High German language. There are also various recognised minority languages. This linguistic diversity is also reflected in the media, particularly in large cities, where multilingual media offerings and native-language offerings in other languages are on the rise.

Ethnic groups and religion

Germany is ethnically and religiously diverse. The most important ethnic groups are: Germans (86 per cent), Turks (2.4 per cent), Poles (1.4 per cent), Italians (1 per cent) and 9.2 per cent of other ethnicities, including people with a history of immigration from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. 54 per cent of Germans are Christians (Catholic and Protestant), 38 per cent are non-denominational, 5.6 per cent are Muslims and 2.4 per cent are followers of other religions (Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.). Ethnic and religious diversity is also reflected in the media landscape, with special media offerings for different communities and faiths. In Germany, for example, newspapers such as the Turkish-language Hürriyet or the "Jüdische Allgemeine" are published in German.

Urban-rural divide, internal migration and settlement density

The population density in Germany is around 233 inhabitants per square kilometre, but varies greatly between urban and rural areas. Around 77 per cent of inhabitants live in urban areas, while the remaining 23 per cent live in rural regions. Within the European Union (EU), population density varies greatly between the different member states. In 2021, it was around 111.9 inhabitants per square kilometre. Overall, urbanisation is less pronounced in the EU than in Germany. In 2022, around 39% of the population lived in cities, 35% in smaller towns or suburbs and 26% in rural areas. 

There is significant internal migration from rural to urban areas, mainly due to better job opportunities and educational opportunities in the cities. Large cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne are the main centres of population concentration. Some of them are embedded in metropolitan regions in which particularly large numbers of people live in Germany. These are: Rhine-Ruhr (Ruhr area), Berlin-Brandenburg, Hamburg, Munich, Rhine-Main, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Hanover-Brunswick-Göttingen-Wolfsburg, Bremen-Oldenburg, Central Germany and Rhine-Neckar. These metropolitan regions are not only known for their economic importance, but also for their cultural offerings and quality of life. They play a decisive role in Germany's regional and national development. Urbanisation has a strong influence on the media landscape, as urban areas have a higher concentration and diversity of media, while rural areas often have less access to diverse media offerings.

Literacy rate, education system and media literacy

Germany has a high literacy rate of around 99 per cent. The education system is well developed and consists of several levels: Primary level (primary school), lower secondary level (Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium), upper secondary level (Berufsschule, Fachoberschule, Gymnasium), colleges and universities. Media literacy is increasingly being integrated into the respective curricula in order to prepare pupils for the responsible use of media. There are both state and private, often foundation-based, initiatives and programmes to promote media education in schools and other educational institutions. 

As one of the largest private foundations in Germany, the Bertelsmann Stiftung is involved in a wide range of areas of social development. It regularly conducts various evaluations and studies, such as comparative school studies, studies on skills development and social cohesion, integration and migration, labour market studies and studies on democracy and civic participation. The Bertelsmann Stiftung is also the largest shareholder in the international media group Bertelsmann, which includes RTL Deutschland and thus the media RTL, Stern and n-tv.

Other important foundations in Germany that also regularly conduct studies include the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Hans Böckler Foundation and the Mercator Foundation.

Country-specific and relevant dimensions

The federal structure of the country leads to regional diversity in the media landscape, with strong public broadcasters such as ARD and ZDF as well as numerous regional broadcasters and newspapers. Historical events such as the division of Germany and reunification have strongly characterised the media landscape. In the new federal states (the states of the former GDR), media usage behaviour and trust are different to some extent than in the old federal states, which can be attributed to the different historical experiences and media influence during the GDR era.

Trust in and respect for journalists and the media

According to the Reuters Digital News Report, trust in traditional media is high in Germany (43%) compared to many other countries, although there are fluctuations and scepticism here too, particularly towards certain media formats or in certain population groups.  Trust is lower in the UK (33 per cent), France (30 per cent) and the USA (32 per cent), but significantly higher in Scandinavia (50-69 per cent) and the Netherlands (57 per cent).

Germany is considered safe for journalists, ranking 10th out of 180 on Reporters Without Borders' international press freedom ranking. Nevertheless, there are incidents of threats, assaults and attacks, particularly in connection with reporting on right-wing extremist groups, organised crime and other political extremists. According to the non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders, there have been repeated attacks on journalists in recent years, particularly during demonstrations and political events. The organisation documents these incidents and campaigns for the protection and rights of journalists. Such incidents are regularly reported in the private and public media in Germany.

Media consumption of the population

Almost all people in Germany aged 14 and over (98 per cent) use media every day, according to the results of the ARD/ZDF long-term mass communication study in 2023. The daily reach of moving images is 89 per cent. Linear television is part of everyday life for almost two thirds of the population: 64 per cent are reached via it every day. Audio offerings remain an integral part of daily media use for four out of five people. 68% use linear radio programmes every day. 

Editorial texts are read by 58 per cent of people every day. Digital reading of print articles in particular is on the decline. 

On average, people aged 14 and over in Germany spend a total of 412 minutes per day consuming media. Videos account for the lion's share at 203 minutes, followed by audio at 175 minutes. Videos on social media are becoming increasingly important. The amount of time people in Germany spend reading texts per day is significantly lower at 60 minutes.