Hanover will grow until 2035: the surrounding area will lose residents – an overview of the figures!

Hanover will grow until 2035: the surrounding area will lose residents – an overview of the figures!

A current population forecast predicts moderate growth in Hanover until 2035, while neighboring regions will decline slightly. The population of the state capital will increase by around 8,800 to around 567,000 Deister echo reported. In contrast, a decline of around 3,400 people is expected in the Hanover area, leaving the region's total population stable at around 1.21 million.

The forecast refers to developments from 2019 to 2023, taking into account important changes in age structure and migration movements. Particular attention is paid to the positive migration balance, which is 40,100 people in Hanover. This contributes to an increase of 1.6 percent, while the surrounding area will shrink due to higher death rates despite a net increase of 29,500 inhabitants.

Demographic changes

An exciting detail is the growth of the districts. Bemerode is growing particularly strongly at 16 percent and Limmer at 18.7 percent, while the surrounding areas of Seelze and Langenhagen are recording moderate growth of 2 and 1.2 percent. The age structure in Hanover remains constant, while in the surrounding area a decline of almost 6 percent is expected in the working population. Furthermore, the average age in the region will increase from 44.2 to 44.6 years, which shows that the average age here is increasing slightly.

The forecast up to 2040 promises that Hanover's population will continue to grow, while the surrounding area could probably shrink by a further 3,500 people. This data is crucial for the planning of daycare centers, schools, care offerings and infrastructure, as it indicates the future needs of the population.

National context

At the national level, the population in Germany is expected to remain stable until 2045, as shown by the BBSR's new calculations. The figures are based on the 2022 census and show that the total population will remain stable at 83.1 million people, although a slight decline is expected from 2029. It is emphasized that economically strong large cities and their surrounding areas continue to grow, while structurally weak rural areas may be affected by a decline. The forecast and illustrative data are also available in a dashboard viewable at BBSR as below BBSR can be read.

Ongoing developments in population dynamics are important not only for city dwellers, but also for the planning of housing and social services throughout the region. It remains to be seen what additional measures the authorities will take to meet the future challenges of demographic change. Full coverage of the population forecast is expected to be published in November 2025.