BERLIN – The number of people moving from Germany to the United States dropped sharply in 2025 following the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, official data showed on Nov 10.
Between January and September, emigration to the US decreased by 17.8 per cent year on year to around 17,100, according to preliminary figures from Germany’s federal statistics office.
“Departures to the US in the first nine months of this year were at their lowest level since the pandemic-hit year of 2021,” the office said in a statement.
Migration from the US to Germany rose by 3.4 per cent to more than 19,300 in the same period, marking the first time since 2021 that more people moved from the US to Germany than vice versa.
Tourism between the two nations also declined. From January to August, 1.96 million US visitors arrived in Germany, down 3.2 per cent from the same period in 2024.
The drop was most pronounced in summer, with July arrivals falling by 10.2 per cent.
Despite a 1.3 per cent decline in US-bound air travel from Germany, the US remained the top non-European destination from German airports.
Overall, the top foreign destinations for German travellers for the period were Spain, Turkey and Italy.
In March, Germany updated its travel advisory for the US to emphasise that a visa or entry waiver does not guarantee entry for its citizens after several Germans were detained at the border. REUTERS
