Which German city had 3,596,999 residents in the 2022 census? Berlin. The figure refers to Berlin’s population within its city-state boundaries at the 2022 census reference date.
Berlin is both Germany’s capital and a federal state, an unusual arrangement that gives the city administrative responsibilities beyond those of an ordinary municipality. It lies within Brandenburg and has grown into Germany’s largest city by population. The census figure is lower than some later register-based estimates, because different methods count residents differently.
A common mix-up is confusing Berlin proper with its wider urban or metropolitan region. The built-up area and Berlin-Brandenburg capital region include many residents outside the city-state, producing substantially larger totals. Berlin’s history also explains why population comparisons can be complicated: the city was divided during the Cold War, then experienced major political, economic and demographic change after reunification in 1990.