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Person entitled to vote

The final number of persons entitled to vote in an election is determined by counting the names in the voters’ registers. At the beginning of an election year, the Federal Returning Officer publishes the estimated number of persons entitled to vote by sex and age groups in a press release.

Persons entitled to vote on Bundestag and European Parliament elections
Bundestag election European election
Election year number Election year number
1949 1 31,207,620    
1953 1 33,120,940    
1957 35,400,923    
1961 37,440,715    
1965 38,510,395    
1969 38,677,235    
1972 2 41,446,302    
1976 42,058,015    
    1979 42,751,940
1980 43,231,741    
1983 44,088,935    
    1984 44,465,989
1987 45,327,982    
    1989

45,773,179

1990 3 60,436,560    
1994 60,452,009 1994 60,473,927
1998 60,762,751    
    1999 60,786,904
2002 61,432,868    
    2004 61,682,394
2005 61,870,711    
2009 62,168,489 2009 62,222,873
2013 61,946,900    
    2014 61,998,824
2017 61,688,485    
    2019 61,600,263
2021 61,181,072    

1  Without Saarland.
2  Since 1972: Age of entitlement to vote from the completion of the 18th year of age. Previously from the completion of the 21st year of age.
3  Since 1990: Territory of the Federal Republic of Germany as of 3 October 1990.

Last update: 13 February 2023