Slight Population Decline in Saxony

Saxony's population continues to decline. According to the State Statistical Office, 4,026,599 people were still living in the Free State at the end of last year. That was 0.4 percent, or 15,823 residents, fewer than a year earlier. As early as 2024, the population had already declined by 0.3 percent compared to the previous year. If the decline continues at this rate, Saxony’s population would fall below the four-million mark in 2027.

One-third of Saxony’s population—around 1.4 million people—lived in the major cities of Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig at the end of 2025. Leipzig led the way with 615,932 residents. 

More People Moving to Saxony Than Moving Away

Once again, the number of deaths (56,411) far exceeded the number of live births (23,126). According to statistics, there were indeed more people moving into Saxony (98,234) than moving out (84,729). However, this was not enough to offset the population decline caused by the high number of deaths. This was last the case in 2022 and 2023, when the population grew primarily due to the war-related influx of people from Ukraine.

Population in the Vogtland region is shrinking the most

Population growth was observed only in the independent cities of Chemnitz and Leipzig. At the end of 2025, 0.7 percent more people were living in each of these cities than in 2024. The population declined most sharply in the Vogtland district, with a decrease of 1.2 percent.

The average age of Saxony’s population was 47.2 years at the end of 2025 (2024: 47.1 years). The range is considerable: Leipzig has an average age of 42.3 years, while the Vogtland district has an average age of 50.2 years.