More first graders at Berlin schools

In Berlin, significantly more children started school this year than last year.

About 38,000 first-year elementary school students in the city started the 2022/23 school year, the Federal Statistical Office announced on Friday, citing preliminary results. That is a 6.6 percent increase in students compared to last year.

Over 800,000 first graders started school nationwide

The sharp increase in new students is due to demographic developments such as higher birth rates and increased immigration. The proportion of Ukrainian students could not be quantified, the federal office explained. Nationwide, the number of children starting school this year is at its highest level in 17 years, it said. 810,700 children would have started school in 2022/2023, 5.2 percent more than last year. The last time more children started school in Germany was in the 2005/2006 school year.