11.1.c Density of settlements
Settlement density describes the ratio of the number of inhabitants to the settlement and transport area ( SuV ). It thus differs from population density, which refers to the entire area of the federal territory.
In addition to residential areas, settlement areas also include areas with special functions such as hospitals, schools, industrial and commercial areas, mixed-use areas, and sports, leisure, and recreational areas. Both changes in population and the expansion of urban areas influence settlement density.
Settlement density varies significantly between "rural" and "non-rural" areas. The classification is based on the Thünen Institute"s classification system, which classifies districts and independent cities based on criteria such as settlement density, the proportion of agricultural and forestry land, and accessibility to larger centers.
Since the definition of "rural" takes into account, among other things, settlement density itself, it should be noted that differences in the indicator between rural and non-rural areas are partly due to the classification itself. For example, an increase in settlement density in a rural area may lead to its future classification as non-rural.
Between 2000 and 2011, settlement density declined in both area types – by 12% in rural areas and by 5% in non-rural areas. Since 2011, the indicator value for Germany as a whole has remained relatively constant at around 1,670 inhabitants per square kilometer of urban area (SUV) , which corresponds to approximately 90% of the 2000 value. In non-rural areas, settlement density has been rising again since 2011 and, at 3,384 inhabitants per square kilometer of urban area (SUV) , reached almost the 2000 level in 2023.
A comparison of the development of SUVs and population numbers reveals different trends for both influencing factors: While settlement and traffic areas have increased continuously since 2000, population numbers initially declined between 2000 and 2011, resulting in a decline in settlement density. Since 2011, population numbers have been rising again, so the indicator has remained largely constant since then.
The share of SUVs in the total area is significantly lower in rural areas (12.3%) than in non-rural areas (36.8%) – both for 2023). The area increase of SUVs affects both types of areas, but was significantly higher in rural areas at 17.4% (2023 compared to 2000) than in non-rural areas at 9.3%. At the same time, population growth has been significantly weaker in rural areas since 2011, resulting in a slight decline in settlement density there.
According to the Thünen Institute"s definition, in 2023, around 43% of the population lived in non-rural areas and 57% in rural areas. At the same time, around 80% of the settlement and transport areas were located in rural areas.
to increase the number of inhabitants per square kilometer of SUV . However, due to stagnating development in recent years, this goal has not been achieved, or only to a limited extent.
The data basis for this indicator is the population statistics and the area survey according to the type of actual use (official area statistics) of the Federal Statistical Office. The states are harmonizing their land registers, which has led to reclassifications of land in recent years – even without actual changes in use. A changeover took place in 2016. to a new land use catalog, which impacted the official land use statistics and made comparability with previous years more difficult. To enable meaningful comparisons over time, the data were recalculated based on the 2011 census and the 2016 land use survey.
The indicator has cross-references to indicator 11.1.a “ Increase in settlement and transport area ”.
