Islam in Germany: Facts and figures , Date: 2023.06.29, format: Article

About 5.5 million followers of Islam live in Germany. Nearly 3 million of them are German citizens. Muslims account for about 6.6% of Germany’s total population. They make up the second-largest religious community in Germany, after the much larger group of members of Christian churches (some 45 million, or more than half of Germany’s total population).

The Muslim community in Germany has nearly equal shares of men and women. At 52%, men account for a slightly larger proportion of the Muslim community than women (48%). The average age of Muslim men and women is roughly 32 years, which is relatively young compared to the average age of the total population of Germany, which is slightly over 44. The average size of Muslim households in Germany is 3.6 persons, the equivalent of a married couple with one or two children. The number of Muslims living alone is sometimes overestimated; it actually only accounts for about 11% of Muslim households.

Muslims in Germany: A very diverse minority

The Muslim community in Germany is very diverse. Muslims in Germany have a broad range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds and follow many different denominations of Islam. Also, their personal commitment to religion varies widely.

About 2.5 million Muslims in Germany (45%) have Turkish roots. They now make up a smaller share of the Muslim population in Germany than they did in 2015 (53%). Although Muslims of Turkish origin no longer constitute the majority of Muslims in Germany, they are still by far the largest group. The second-largest group is made up of Muslims with Arab roots (27%) from the Middle East (above all Syria) and North Africa. This group is followed by Muslims from south-eastern Europe (19%) and by Muslims from Afghanistan, Iran and their neighbouring countries (9%).

Germany’s Muslim community also includes people who have converted to Islam either because of their religious convictions, following marriage to a Muslim partner, or for other reasons. However, no statistics are available on the number of converts.

Three-quarters of Muslims in Germany identify as Sunni. Sunni Islam is the predominant branch of Islam worldwide. There are various strands within Sunni Islam, as can be observed in Germany. And Islam has other currents and groups which differ from each other and from Sunni Islam. The second-largest branch of Islam in the world today is Shia Islam. Shia Muslims make up a relatively small share of all Muslims in Germany (4%).

By contrast, the share of those who belong to the Turkish-influenced tradition of Alevism is twice as large, at 8%. Some 40% of Alevis regard their faith as a separate religion distinct from Islam. Ahmadis and followers of other Islamic sects and movements each account for 1% of Germany’s Muslim community.

For many Muslims, religious practice is an important part of daily life

For many Muslims in Germany, practising their religion is an integral part of their daily life. This includes following religious rules and customs, such as dietary restrictions, which 70% of the Muslims surveyed for the study of Muslim life in Germany said they obeyed. Almost as many (66%) said they celebrated religious holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, the "Feast of Sacrifice" held during the same month as the Hajj pilgrimage.

The rite of prayer – to be performed five times a day – is an important part of the daily practice of Islam. The share of Muslims who said they prayed daily is 39%. About 25% said they never prayed, and 11% said they only prayed a few times a year. Another cornerstone of Islamic religious practice is fasting, especially during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn until sundown. Three-quarters of Muslims living in Germany said they obeyed the Islamic rules on fasting completely (56%) or in part (20%). The remaining quarter does not fast.

The degree of religious observance may also differ between generations: Muslims born in Germany are often less observant than their parents who immigrated to Germany.

Are Muslim women religious even if they don’t wear a headscarf?

Muslim women are somewhat more devout than Muslim men. In the study of Muslim life in Germany, one in three Muslim women surveyed said they were very devout. Among Muslim men, this figure is one in four. More women also pray daily: for example, nearly one-half of the women surveyed said they prayed daily, whereas not quite one-third of men said they did.

However, not all of the women who said they were very devout wear a headscarf. Fewer than one-third of Muslim women wear a headscarf. Muslim women who do not wear a headscarf said they did not regard it as necessary for practising their faith (77%) or simply did not like to cover their head (56%). However, more than one-third said they also feared social repercussions from wearing a headscarf (35%).

Muslims are active in their communities and mosque congregations in many ways

Nearly one in eight Muslims living in Germany are active in a mosque congregation. The number of Muslims who regularly visit or volunteer at a mosque is actually much higher.

And many Muslims are active in their communities beyond their mosque congregation. A large share of Muslims who belong to an association such as a sport club (33%) belong to one that is not connected in any way to their own country of origin or to that of their parents (27%). As a result, they are in frequent contact with Germans who do not have an immigrant background. For example, about 65% of Muslims surveyed said they were in touch with native German friends at least once a week. And Muslims who do not (yet) have much social contact with native Germans said they were very interested in more such interaction. So there are no indications that Muslims are seeking to distance themselves in religious or ethnic terms from the majority population in Germany. On the contrary, the majority of Muslims (more than 80%) said they felt a strong connection to Germany.