Whether it’s people living together in different living arrangements and household structures, the diversity of family life, varied educational and career paths, or different immigration histories: diversity is part of North Rhine-Westphalia.
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany's most populous federal state. At the end of 2024, 18.03 million people lived in the state; the average age of the population was 44.2 years. Children and adolescents up to the age of 18 accounted for 18.0 percent of the population. 22.0 percent of the population was 65 years or older.
Social change is also bringing about changes in family life: In addition to two-parent families, single-parent families, blended families, and rainbow families have become the norm. Many families are also multilingual.
Household types differ, among other things, based on how many people live in a household, whether children and adolescents under the age of 18 are part of the household, and, if so, how many and which parents they live with.
Based on the 2023 census, people living alone—numbering 3.5 million—make up a large portion of the 8.72 million private households. About one-third of private households (33.9 percent) consist of two people, 11.9 percent consist of three people, and 9.9 percent consist of four people. Private households with five or more people are rare in North Rhine-Westphalia (4.4 percent).
Children and adolescents are influenced, among other things, by whether they grow up with siblings or as an only child, and with one or more parents.
In nearly half (48 percent) of households, there are families with a child under the age of 18. In 38 percent of households, families have two children, and in 14 percent, families have two or more children. The statistics do not distinguish between biological, adopted, and stepchildren.
Parents and children live together in various family structures.
Balancing family and career is an important issue for many mothers and fathers. The past few decades have brought about a shift in the division of responsibilities within families. More and more fathers are taking parental leave and want to remain actively involved in raising and caring for their children even after it ends. Mothers, on the other hand, are returning to work sooner. Nevertheless, mothers still often shoulder the bulk of the caregiving responsibilities within families.
Reliable child care is particularly important for achieving a good work-life balance. In 2024, 90 percent of children between the ages of three and six attended a daycare center. Children under the age of three are less likely to attend daycare (32.2 percent).
Diversity is an integral part of everyday school life. In the 2023–2024 school year, approximately 152,600 students were identified as having special educational needs, with just under half of them attending a general education school and the other half attending a special education school. In addition, in the 2024/2025 school year, nearly half of the students had an immigrant background (44.3 percent).
The type of diploma students receive upon graduating from a general education school has a significant impact on their future educational and career opportunities. In the 2023–2024 school year, about one-third (37.3 percent) graduated with the Abitur, and another third (35.4 percent) with the Fachoberschulreife. 15.6 percent left school with an (extended) first school leaving certificate, and 7.4 percent left without a first school leaving certificate.
Since the Industrial Revolution, people from a wide variety of countries and regions around the world have found a new home in North Rhine-Westphalia. Current political developments are also reflected in the nationalities of North Rhine-Westphalia’s residents: In 2024, 15 percent were Turkish nationals, 8.8 percent were Syrian nationals, and 8 percent were Ukrainian nationals.
This cultural diversity is also reflected in language. About half of the people with an immigrant background speak one or more languages other than German at home, such as Turkish, Russian, Arabic, or Polish.
In 2024 and 2025, a total of ten municipalities were awarded the North Rhine-Westphalia state prize “Family-Friendly Municipality.”
