Market Analysis
Migration analysis 2017
8,861 Bavarians moved to Berlin in 2017: Neukoelln leads, Boxhagener Platz tops the neighborhood list
In 2017, 8,861 people moved from Bavaria to Berlin. Neukoelln, Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain had the most arrivals. Mitte gained the highest net migration.
Peter Guthmann
The rivalry between Bavaria and Prussia dates back to 1866, when the two powers clashed in the German Confederation and Bavaria sided with Vienna against Berlin. Today the relationship is more relaxed, and the migration data tells a clear story: Berlin attracts Bavarians in considerable numbers.
The numbers for 2017
According to the Berlin-Brandenburg Office of Statistics, 8,861 people moved their primary residence from Bavaria to Berlin in 2017. In the opposite direction, 6,271 people left. That produces a net migration gain of 2,590 for the capital. How many of them are actually native Bavarians cannot be determined from registration data. Unofficial estimates put the number of Bavarians living in Berlin at around 30,000, though that figure dates back to roughly 2011 and is not reliable.
Where Bavarians register in Berlin
The highest number of registrations from Bavaria went to:
- Neukoelln: 732 arrivals
- Prenzlauer Berg: 692 arrivals
- Friedrichshain: 625 arrivals
- Charlottenburg: 625 arrivals
- Wedding: 620 arrivals
- Mitte: 549 arrivals
In net terms, Mitte leads with a migration gain of 262 people. The least popular areas were Tegel (77), Tiergarten (77), Weissensee (115), and Marzahn-Hellersdorf.
Neighborhood level: Boxhagener Platz and Invalidenstrasse on top
At the neighborhood level, Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain leads with 148 registrations, followed by the Invalidenstrasse area in Mitte with 127 arrivals. Both neighborhoods offer solid infrastructure, restaurants, and an urban environment.
[Chart] This section contained an interactive chart.
What the data means for the housing market
Migration from high-income states like Bavaria increases demand pressure on Berlin's rental and purchase market. For owners and investors, this migration data is a tool for location analysis: the boroughs with the highest inflows attract financially strong households, which stabilizes market trends and reinforces demand for apartments in Berlin.