GERMANY IS OVER
Do you have a balanced news diet? Go to https://ground.news/nutshell to see reporting from a variety of sources and perspectives around the world. Subscribe for 40% off their unlimited access Vantage plan through our link.
Support independent science and get something beautiful in return: https://shop.kgs.link/favorites
Browse our handpicked favorites, from science posters to collectibles and more, only on the kurzgesagt shop.
Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-germany-is-over/
Germany is heading towards a population collapse. For decades, birth rates have remained below replacement levels, while people are living longer than ever before. As a result, the population is now rapidly aging and facing a growing imbalance between the number of workers and retirees. This shift is putting pressure not only on Germany’s pension system, but also on jobs, healthcare, and the services people rely on every day.
So how did Germany get here and what will be the consequences? Is there a way to avoid this demographic collapse and if so, how?
OUR CHANNELS
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
German: https://kgs.link/youtubeDE
Spanish: https://kgs.link/youtubeES
French: https://kgs.link/youtubeFR
Portuguese: https://kgs.link/youtubePT
Arabic: https://kgs.link/youtubeAR
Hindi: https://kgs.link/youtubeHI
Japanese: https://kgs.link/youtubeJA
Korean: https://kgs.link/youtubeKO
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US?
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
This is how we make our living and it would be a pleasure if you support us!
Get Products designed with ❤️ https://shop.kgs.link
Join the Patreon Bird Army 🐧 https://kgs.link/patreon
DISCUSSIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Instagram: https://kgs.link/instagram
TikTok: https://kgs.link/tiktok
Reddit: https://kgs.link/reddit
Discord: https://kgs.link/discord
Twitter: https://kgs.link/twitter
Bluesky: https://kgs.link/bluesky
Facebook: https://kgs.link/facebook
Newsletter: https://kgs.link/newsletter
OUR VOICE
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
The kurzgesagt voice is from
Steve Taylor: https://kgs.link/youtube-voice
OUR MUSIC ♬♪
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
700+ minutes of kurzgesagt soundtracks by Epic Mountain:
Spotify: https://kgs.link/music-spotify
Soundcloud: https://kgs.link/music-soundcloud
Bandcamp: https://kgs.link/music-bandcamp
Youtube: https://kgs.link/music-youtube
Facebook: https://kgs.link/music-facebook
The soundtrack of this video:
SoundCloud: https://bit.ly/4uhKH7d
Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/4tJxDrE
If you want to help us caption this video, please send subtitles to subtitle@kurzgesagt.org
You can find info on what subtitle files work on YouTube here:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2734698?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=7296214
Thank you!
🐦🐧🐤 PATREON BIRD ARMY 🐤🐧🐦
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Many thanks to our wonderful Patreons (from http://kgs.link/patreon) who support us every month and made this video possible:
AeryaRia, Andrew, Bastian, Charlie Fang, crazyx, Esteban, fernando portillo, James Lench, Lexhad, Lisa Buren, Oriol Marti robledillo, Pablo the One, raidin tajada, Saga Arunami, Sebastian, sungo, Tarren & Family, Thatguy

@kurzgesagt
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Do you have a balanced news diet? Go to https://ground.news/nutshell to see reporting from a variety of sources and perspectives around the world. Subscribe for 40% off their unlimited access Vantage plan through our link.
@msigurko
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
You got it backwards, Kurzgesagt.
The welfare state IS one of the major drivers of the population decline.
When people can just live off the gov they turn lazy and selfish and the last thing they think of is getting in to the liability of having children.
While people that work hard to get food and roof almost always want family around them. It gives them a purpose and drive to work hard.
@chillsahoy2640
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
I wonder if a combination of several relatively small changes could help mitigate the worst outcomes? For example, people who are not part of the labour force can still contribute to their community, for example by helping with childcare or doing things that are not normally considered labour. There's also the possibility that we might decide that this economic system is too fragile and it isn't really going to be sustainable, and we might move away from profit-seeking at all costs and take a more moderate approach, where some profits are sacrificed to ensure that workers (and pensioners, and all citizens!) are well taken care of. While the "fertility crisis" might still be there in the sense that there are fewer younger people, but it might be possible to sidestep some of the issues by having an economic system that isn't so sensitive population age distribution.
@Ольга-э7м9к
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Hello Duck! Where can I send you some questions?
@pmeagle
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Basically every problem current and future generations have is generational debt projected on a "infinite growth" promise by election campaigns, meeting the hardened reality of finite resource.
This coupled with most of the Debt welfare being moved from people to companies (buybacks, bailout, conventions, subsidies, etc), ensured future generations will be forced to crash hard on sustainment.
@jjajang_uyu
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
'KOREA IS OVER' 영상이 아무래도 조회수가 엄청나긴 했어 ㅋㅋㅋ
@tachles_math
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Wake up ✝️slam will take down Europe before anything else
@contellio2636
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Hungary is the most corrupt country in the eu and hungary is a aging country too
@tesseractde
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
all these just to not tax the rich. what a shame
@Slydime917
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Don't worry, the seniors will take everything for themselves and immigrants will fix everything else
@andyfire9334
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Im an immigrant in Australia and im just gonna say this!
The western developed world has broken the balance when it promoted the evil feminist and individualist agenda masquerading it as human rights.
Only in the west do you see the institutions and politics promote abortions and late pregnancy "chase your dreams". They attack the "Family" & "Gender roles" as if its cancer, fooling many younger generations.
Then to solve the population decline they import incompatible cultures and people who dont want to assimilate only replace.
Dont you see, they want you till kill your children "your mistake" then when there's not enough people they replace you.
Just like how Roman republic was ruined from within the western world also follows the same. History repeats itself
@kennygilberts4119
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
I am in the urban planning profession, and hearing kurzgesagt, one of my favorite educational media mention "millions of people immigrating to germany" as one of the reasons for the exorbitant house prices is disappointing. Germany, and a lot of countries in the west suffer from the same top-heavy wealth accumulation that has become such a huge problem in driving housing unaffordability around the world.
Contemporary urban planning academic data on the topic point to the inherent paradox of real-estate as an investment for profit vs it's usage as a shelter that is required by everyone. And the matter of fact is, more and more, governments around the world have prioritized housing for profitable investments rather than it's actual value as a shelter, which should be a human right.
the top 1% own 25% of all wealth in germany, with much of it tied to real estate. Blaming immigrants who barely make a living wage, and is commonly living in substandard housing, with majority of them renting rather than buying is questionable. You are repeating the hateful dogwhistle nationalistic rhetoric pushed by the top 1%. As an educational media, it's important that you guys do better.
@mnico239
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Well let’s just cut pensions of those boomers who kept voting CDU/CSU…
When they were kids new schools and youth amenities were built.
when they went to university they voted for it to be cheap
When they started working they voted for taxes to be cheap
When they started earning higher wages they bought up all realestate
When they started to retire they voted for higher pensions.
I guess it’s time for the bill…
@spyrobro24
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Canada is in a similar situation for young people, but for some different reasons and some similar reasons
@petargorenov
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Solution: import infinity indians, arabs and africans, that'll surely fix it
@MrDom3D
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
17 seconds in and already half truth
@MyBrainGlows
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
WAIT? Its NOT the greens and the refugees??!!!111
@PitaoCozobi
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Migration cant solve problems with fertility. Algerian migrant will born algerian kid with muslim culture. Nothing deutch will preserve with such politics.
@Paila177
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
So the solution is to sacrifice one generation in order to get a new generation which will increase the births…? That's not happening
@coderentity2079
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Gender ideology and replacement of population to islamists to the rescue!
@DingoHammer
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Every immigrant makes Germany less German. Its the same with any other country taking in immigrants. At some time in the future, every European country will look the same, so why have different countries?
@jason4275
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Were to F***ing poor to have kids.
@jesseperry7848
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Achieving a welfare state is not an accomplishment – it is a complete failure.
@서울77
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
괜찮아요 ai가 저희를 구원해줄거에요
@vishalanime
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
It's all going to be fine ☺️
@Zartah
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
"The next few decades will be rough". I was born in 1990, most of my life has been in this crazy decaying World. There is no escape.
@FaDezZ_
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
💙
@plaksiyillya
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
As ukrainian I can feel your pain too
@amandawhatever
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Government is a ponzi scheme where the wealthy use the monopoly of force to extract wealth from the young. As long as politicians and bureaucrats are for sale, you can expect to be viewed as a "human resource" instead of as a "human being".
@greedier-7661
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
…. why is this called germany is over? It could replace "germany" with dozens of countries based on subject of this video… and there are countries more fit for being in this tittle but I guess south korea was not catchy enough as it was already being shouted about population collapse 10 years ago…
@LegsGyms
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
😏
@DingoHammer
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
All of the social welfare programs were based on a forever increasing population. It was never sustainable in the first place.
@Ducka70
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Could you do a similar analysis in Denmark? Cause they seem to be doing well, just from outside
@nekomyura
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Glad to see a video by Kurzgesagt on this topic. While known to many, it is still a great reminder of what the younger generations over so many countries are facing.
@joelledbetter2926
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Nothing a good ole fashion world War wont solve
@DzinkyDzink
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Just start WW3, invade Russia, lose the war, get Hitler 2.0(or Lenin 2.0) and you're golden 😊
@nicovolli
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
of you are driving too fast and to avoid an accident slow down too quickly which creates a problem of you sticking to the windshield, do you keep driving too fast to solve the problem?
@simonbertrand6709
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Huge mess created by….Boomers!
@Reachyhvh
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
where is akumetsu when we need him
@Kafeiklys
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
If we think that our taxes going to old people is a problem then that is real problem, bad thinking, because thanks to those old folks we have our current state. Respect for the old workforce folks.
@LevionBlake
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
A very good video.
@ihateandreykrasnokutsky
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
It's not a problem or crisis, it's a solution to overpopulation.
@zlatanoff
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
The wellfare state is not an achievement, lol! It is the problem.
@TheLudwigWan
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Germany needs AfD and nationalism. ❤
@alexlaurent1018
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
"The entire western world seems to have a hard time finding any money to upkeep social systems and give young people the opportunity to start families"
Meanwhile like 100 people hold a vast majority of the wealth. Gee, what could be the problem….
@idkwattoputheredjsuehhdbff
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
rich countries: Nooo stop making kids! poor countries: Five Hundred Babies
@nightlyknight7970
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Glad you didn't hold back, and of course, if you can't fix the problems in your own country and expect to mediate it by outside means. It's not going to last.
@Drew-uv2zi
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
“What’s retirement savings”
All of Europe
@Moe5Tavern
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
The solution is definitely not bringing in more people from incompatible cultures, I live in Germany and that is the worst effect of this.
@Ashik-s9o
May 7, 2026 at 10:04 am
Take some from Bangladesh. We have too many.