Germany’s schools are experiencing a historic rise in students with a migration background, while the financial burden of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers continues to grow. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, in 2024, 29% of students in general education schools had a migration background, meaning almost every third pupil was either a migrant or a descendant of migrants. This represents a steady increase from 26% in 2019. Only 59% of students come entirely from non-migrant backgrounds.
Despite the growing number of migrant students, the teaching workforce remains predominantly native, with only 11% of teachers in general education schools having a migration background.
Meanwhile, the financial impact of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (UMAs) continues to escalate. Figures obtained by AfD MP René Springer reveal that since 2015, Germany has spent at least €12.2 billion on accommodation, education, and care. These costs are typically covering housing, food, clothing, medical care, schooling, language courses, and youth services. In some federal states, the per-minor cost reaches nearly €100,000 annually, such as in Lower Saxony, while North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia exceed €80,000 per minor.
The majority of UMAs are male teenagers from Afghanistan and Syria, with growing numbers arriving from Ukraine since 2022.
