More people with an immigrant background living in Germany

The total is now more than 18 percent.

Wiesbaden, Germany — The number of people with an immigration background living in Germany has risen to 15.1 million, according to figures released on Tuesday.

The Federal Statistics Office said migrants and their descendants accounted for 18.4 percent of Germany’s 82.4 million population in 2006, the last year for which figures are available.

A micro-census conducted in 2006 showed the number of people with a migration background increased by 130,000 from the previous year, while the total population declined by 100,000.

Two-thirds of the people with a migration background are immigrants who arrived in Germany after 1950, while the remaining third are their descendants.

About 50 percent have acquired German nationality, according to the figures.

Some 59.5 percent of the immigrants arrived from other European countries, with one in four coming from European Union members.

With 14.2 percent, Turks account for the most foreign migrants in Germany, followed by Russians on 8.4 percent, Poles with 6.9 percent and Italians on 4.1 percent.

DPA with Expatica