Table (ad hoc): Persons in need of care, e.g. by region, age and sex (1999-2015)

Persons in need of care (number, per 100,000 inhabitants, in percent). Classification: years, region, age, sex, level of nursing care, kind of care

Shown values refer to:
Region: Germany, Age: All age-groups, Level of nursing care: Nursing care levels total, Presentation: Persons in need of care absolute

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Kind of care	Year (descending), Sex
	1999			2001			2003			2005			2007			2009 ^{2009 X further information on document The data for 2009 for Bremen were integrated subsequently without changing the data for Germany. Thus data for Germany in 2009 still contain estimated values for Bremen.}			2011			2013			2015 ^{2015 X further information on document Since 1 January 2017 a new definition of "in need of care" has been in force. Five care degrees ("Pflegegrade") have replaced the previous three nursing care levels ("Pflegestufen").}
	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male	All sexes	Female	Male
All kinds of care	2,016,091	1,384,269	631,822	2,039,780	1,397,899	641,881	2,076,935	1,414,042	662,893	2,128,550	1,438,278	690,272	2,246,829	1,517,883	728,946	2,338,252 ¹⁾ ²⁾	1,566,482 ¹⁾ ²⁾	771,770 ¹⁾ ²⁾	2,501,441	1,638,278	863,163	2,626,206	1,697,337	928,869	2,860,293	1,831,859	1,028,434
Outpatient care ^{Outpatient care X further information on document Here are recorded the persons in need of care who get nursing care services (including composite services or domestic care in cases of hindrance of the nursing person) from an outpatient nursing service authorized according to SGB XI.}	415,289	297,927	117,362	434,679	309,814	124,865	450,126	318,416	131,710	471,543	329,106	142,437	504,232	346,746	157,486	555,198 ²⁾	378,671 ²⁾	176,526 ²⁾	576,264	391,262	185,002	615,846	414,007	201,839	692,273	461,937	230,336
Inpatient care	562,762	444,670	118,092	591,901	466,769	125,132	623,182	487,173	136,009	657,516	507,552	149,964	686,082	522,181	163,901	717,490 ²⁾	538,286 ²⁾	179,205 ²⁾	743,120	549,769	193,351	764,431	555,575	208,856	783,416	562,762	220,654
Permanent care for full-time inpatients	554,217	438,522	115,695	582,258	459,917	122,341	612,183	479,465	132,718	644,165	498,127	146,038	671,080	511,618	159,462	699,672 ²⁾	525,876 ²⁾	173,796 ²⁾	723,451	536,567	186,884	743,430	541,544	201,886	759,204	546,895	212,309
Short-term inpatient care	8,545	6,148	2,397	9,643	6,852	2,791	10,999	7,708	3,291	13,351	9,425	3,926	15,002	10,563	4,439	17,819 ²⁾	12,410 ²⁾	5,409 ²⁾	19,669	13,202	6,467	21,001	14,031	6,970	24,212	15,867	8,345
Care allowance ^{Care allowance X further information on document Here are assigned the persons in need of care who get nursing care financial benefits for self obtained nursing care assistance according to § 37 SGB XI. These are persons in need of care who are cared for without professional help, for example by relatives.}	1,027,591	633,971	393,620	1,000,736	612,451	388,285	986,520	596,369	390,151	980,425	588,539	391,886	1,033,286	633,450	399,836	1,065,564 ²⁾	649,525 ²⁾	416,039 ²⁾	1,182,057	697,247	484,810	1,245,929	727,755	518,174	1,384,604	807,160	577,444
informative: semi-residential care	10,449	7,701	2,748	12,464	8,865	3,599	17,107	12,084	5,023	19,066	13,081	5,985	23,229	15,506	7,723	31,399 ¹⁾ ²⁾	20,529 ¹⁾ ²⁾	10,870 ¹⁾ ²⁾	43,800	28,284	15,516	57,216	36,772	20,444	73,886	47,686	26,200
informative: semi-residential day care	10,276	7,571	2,705	12,409	8,840	3,569	17,078	12,064	5,014	19,048	13,067	5,981	23,196	15,490	7,706	31,374 ¹⁾ ²⁾	20,511 ¹⁾ ²⁾	10,863 ¹⁾ ²⁾	43,782	28,274	15,508	57,173	36,747	20,426	73,844	47,654	26,190
informative: semi-residential night care	173	130	43	55	25	30	29	20	9	18	14	4	33	16	17	24 ¹⁾ ²⁾	17 ¹⁾ ²⁾	7 ¹⁾ ²⁾	18	10	8	43	25	18	42	32	10

Table was compiled on 13. Jul 2025 11:22 under www.gbe-bund.de

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Region	Germany
Age	All age-groups
Level of nursing care	Nursing care levels total
Presentation	Persons in need of care absolute

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Source(s)/Contact

Nursing care statistics, Federal Statistical Office (more information on

further information on document

Data Source:	Nursing care statistics - home care facilities, residental care facilities: basic data, staff available, persons in need of care, welfare recipients of nursing care services
Contact:
- Contact Person:	Federal Statistical Office / Statistisches Bundesamt [StBA] - Central Information Service
- Data owner:	Abteilung H, Gruppe H 1, Referat H 16
- Street:	Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 11
- Post Code/Town:	65189 Wiesbaden
- Telephone:	+49 611 75-2405
- Contact form:	https://www.destatis.de/kontakt
- Internet:	https://www.destatis.de
Purpose of Data Collection:	-
Legal Base:	Verordnung zur Durchführung einer Bundesstatistik über Pflegeeinrichtungen sowie über die häusliche Pflege vom 24. November 1999 in Verbindung mit § 109 Abs. 1 SGB XI, in der jeweils geltenden Fassung. Den Wortlaut der nationalen Rechtsvorschriften in der jeweils geltenden Fassung finden Sie unter https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/.
Data Collector:	Regional statistical offices, for welfare recipients of nursing care services Federal Statistical Office.
Reporting Stations:	Outpatient, inpatient nursing care facilities - Regional statistical offices - Federal Statistical Office.
Object under Review:	Basic data, staff available, persons requiring nursing care, recipients of nursing care benefit services.
Interviewees:	Outpatient, inpatient nursing care facilities, leading associations of the nursing care services, association of the private insurance companies.
Collection:
- Instruments:	Procurement by internet form and in exceptional cases data procurement form.
- Periodicity:	Every two years.
- First:	1999
- Last:	2023
Processing:
- Periodicity:	Every two years.
Publication:
- Regular:	Statistische Berichte zur Pflegestatistik (Deutschland- und Länderergebnisse); als Dateien unter www.destatis.de --> Themen -->Gesellschaft und Umwelt --> Gesundheit --> Pflege --> Publikationen.
- Irregular:	Statistische Berichte zur Pflege- und zur Pflegekräftevorausberechnung; als Dateien unter www.destatis.de --> Themen --> Gesellschaft und Umwelt --> Gesundheit --> Pflege --> Publikationen.
Completeness, Sample Proportion and Representativity:	Full survey with compulsory response.
Conceivable Modifications:	2017: Adjustment due to the second and third strengthening care law (Pflegestärkungsgesetz) (e.g. reformulation of the term need of care (classification in five care degrees instead of three care levels)). 2019: Adjustment due to the Pflegepersonal-Stärkungsgesetzes and the Terminservice- und Versorgungsgesetzes (e.g. additionel staff in residential car homes, inclusion of ambulant support facilities (just supporting activities (like assistance in the household) for people in need of care) in the survey).
Comparable Data Sources:	-
Remarks:	-
Last Update:	April 14, 2025

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Update of the state of the population, Federal Statistical Office (more information on

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Data Source:	Update of the state of the population
Contact:
- Contact Person:	Federal Statistical Office / Statistisches Bundesamt [StBA] - Central Information Service
- Data owner:	Abteilung F, Gruppe F 2, Referat F 24
- Street:	Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 11
- Post Code/Town:	65189 Wiesbaden
- Telephone:	+49 611 75-2405
- Contact form:	https://www.destatis.de/kontakt
- Internet:	https://www.destatis.de
Purpose of Data Collection:	The statistics provide current data on the population structure (sex, age, family status, nationality). Data are used by ministries and local administrations for administrative and policy purposes and for the organisation of elections, as well as by the scientific and economic sectors, institutes, organisations, media, private persons and the general public. They are the basis for population projections and are of decisive importance for the assessment of the long-term effects of demographic changes (e.g. on the labor market and old age provision).
Legal Base:	Regulation on population statistics. You can find the wording of the national legislation in its current version under https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de.
Data Collector:	There is no data collection. Population data are calculated on the base of other statistical data.
Reporting Stations:	Statistical offices of the Länder - Federal Statistical Office
Object under Review:	Population stock.
Interviewees:	Inapplicable.
Collection:
- Instruments:	Population data are calculated using the components method; The results of the last population census are updated using vital statistics on births, deaths, marriages and divorces, migration statistics and data on acquisition and lost of citizenship.
- Periodicity:	Monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, annually.
- First:	1950
- Last:	Inapplicable.
Processing:
- Periodicity:	Monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, annually.
Publication:
- Regular:	Until Reporting year 2021: Fachserie 1, Reihe 1.3 From Reporting year 2022: Statistischer Bericht, Bevölkerungsfortschreibung Online publications in the database GENESIS (quarterly and yearly) and on the Destatis internet web page https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Current-Population/_node.html.
- Irregular:	-
Completeness, Sample Proportion and Representativity:	Starting from the last census, the calculation is based on secondary, full survey statistics.
Conceivable Modifications:	Following the publication of the results of census 2022, the population data for reporting periods after the census date (15.05.2022) were rebased on the new census results
Comparable Data Sources:	-
Remarks:	-
Last Update:	April 11, 2025

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Definition(s)

Nursing

X

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The International Council of Nurses (ICN) Definition of Nursing:
Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.
www.icn.ch

Nursing care level I

X

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In terms of the Nursing Care Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office:
Persons in the nursing care level I are persons, who need help at least once a day with body care, food or mobility for at least two performances in one or more fields and in addition several times per week in the household. On average this must take at least 90 minutes per day of this, more than 45 minutes must be dedicated to basic care.

Nursing care level II

X

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In terms of the Nursing Care Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office:
Persons in the nursing care level II are persons, who need help at least three times per day at different times of day with body care, food or mobility and in addition several times per week help in the household. On average this must take at least three hours per day of this, at least two hours must be dedicated to basic care.

Nursing care level III

X

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In terms of the Nursing Care Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office:
Persons in the nursing care level III are persons, who need help daily round the clock, also at night, on body care, food or mobility and in addition several times per week help in the household. On average this must take at least five hours per day of this, at least four hours must be dedicated to basic care.

Persons in need of care (until 2015)

X

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In terms of the Nursing Care Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office:
Recorded are persons, who receive services according to SGB XI (Code of Social Law). General qualification for the registration as person in need of care is acknowledgement of the nursing care fund respectively of the private insurance company about the need of care and the assignment of the persons in need of care to the nursing care levels I to IIII (including cases of hardship).
In need of care according to SGB XI are those persons, who permanently need assistance to a significant or higher degree (§ 15 SGB XI) because of a physical, mental or emotional disease or disability, for the normal and periodic activities of daily living, presumably for at least six months (§ 14 Abs. 1 SGB XI). In the sense of this legal definition, persons without a nursing care level with significantly limited everyday competence are not counted as persons in need of care.

Comment(s)

The reference date of the data procurement for the outpatient and inpatient nursing care facilities is December 15, for the recipients of nursing care allowance it is December 31.
December 31st2011:
The comparability of the data on recipients of care allowance according to Section 37 SGB XI to previous years is limited - the increase is shown to be too high in the national average. The overall increase in those requiring care is therefore overstated. This information is based on data supplied by the nursing care insurance funds.
¹⁾Because of the reform of the nursing care insurance in summer 2008 the incentive to receive services of the partly inpatient care in addition to the nursing care financial benefits and/or outpatient non-cash benefits has significantly risen. Cause for this is especially, that the maximum total claim from the combination of services of the day and night care with outpatient non-cash benefits or the nursing care financial benefits has risen to 1.5 times the previous amount by the reform. If, for example, 50 percent of the services of the day and night care are used, now in addition there is a 100 percent claim of nursing care financial benefits or a nursing non-cash benefit. (Previously the nursing care financial benefit or the outpatient non-cash benefit was considered as benefit maximum limit.)
Starting with the survey 2009, for the determination of the total number of persons in need of care, those persons, who are attended to partly inpatient in facilities, are no longer added. These persons usually also receive nursing care financial benefits and/or outpatient non-cash benefits and are therefore already included in the total number of persons in need of care. Until 2008 double counting may have occurred regarding the number of persons in need of care, as far as recipients of day respectively night care also received outpatient care or nursing care financial benefits.
With the modified determination of the total number of persons in need of care the temporal comparability of the total number of persons in need of care in 2009 with the previous surveys is somewhat limited. The related dampening effect on the rate of change in the nursing care statistics 2009 probably accounts for one percentage point in the federal average. The effect refers only to the total number and not to the temporal comparability of the single types of services.
Recipients of care allowance, who also receive outpatient care are included in the outpatient care.
²⁾At the reporting date for the nursing care statistics 2009 there were no processed data from the statistics of nursing care facilities available for Bremen. However, to produce a complete federal result, the results for Bremen were estimated: To the sum of the other 15 federal states about one percent was added (separately calculated for the outpatient and the inpatient field). The factor is the share of Bremen of the German result from 2007.
For Bremen, the data for 2009 were subsequently recorded, but the result for Germany was not modified. So, the data 2009 for Germany still only includes the estimated results for Bremen.

Refresh period of data

This table is continued in the following table:

Persons in need of care, e.g. by region, age and sex (starting from 2017)

Links

Information concerning Persons in need of care in inpatient nursing care facilities (starting from 2017) .
Information concerning Persons in need of care in inpatient nursing care facilities (1999-2015) .
Information concerning Persons in need of care, outpatient nursing care (starting from 2017) .
Information concerning Persons in need of care, outpatient nursing care (1999-2015) .
Information concerning Persons in need of care (number and quota), e.g. by region .
Information concerning Persons in need of care, e.g. by region (1999-2015) .
Information concerning Social long-term care insurance, recipients of benefits e.g. by age .
Information concerning Social long-term care insurance, recipients of benefits e.g. by type of service
Information concerning Population on December, 31 (census 1987, 1990) .
Information concerning Population on December, 31 (census 2011) .

The Federal Health Monitoring System 13. Jul 2025

Change dimension:	Dimension	Row	Column	Page
	Year
	Sex
	Region
	Age
	Level of nursing care
	Kind of care
	Presentation
The table has 9 cells (9 rows and 1 columns).

Table (ad hoc): Persons in need of care, e.g. by region, age and sex (1999-2015)

Persons in need of care (number, per 100,000 inhabitants, in percent). Classification: years, region, age, sex, level of nursing care, kind of care

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