What was Berlin's population in the 2022 census?

Berlin’s population in the 2022 census was 3,596,999.

That figure comes from Germany’s 2022 census, whose reference date was 15 May 2022. The census produced an official population base that differs from Berlin’s population-register totals and from later annual estimates. This distinction explains why several figures for Berlin in or around 2022 can all appear in reputable sources.

Germany’s census was register-based, supplemented by a sample survey and a building-and-housing count. It found that Berlin’s official population was lower than some register-based estimates had suggested. The result was important for public finance, electoral calculations and the distribution of federal resources among Germany’s states.

Berlin is both Germany’s capital and one of its 16 federal states. Its city limits cover the whole state, so the census figure refers to Berlin proper—not the wider Berlin-Brandenburg capital region, which includes surrounding Brandenburg communities and has more than six million residents. A further common mix-up is with the end-of-year population: annual administrative counts use a different method and reference date.