Germany is a federation made up of 16 constituent states, the Länder, which have their own governments and decision-making powers.

Germany is a federation. The federal government and the 16 federal states each have their own decision-making powers. The individual states are responsible for decisions relating to internal security, schools and higher education, culture and municipal administration. At the same time, the state governments implement not only their own laws but also those issued by the federal government. The governments of the states are directly involved in the federal legislative process through their representatives in the Bundesrat (the second chamber of parliament)

Why does Germany have a federal system?

Federalism in Germany is more than just a system of government. Deeply rooted in tradition, it reflects the country’s decentralised cultural and economic structure. Above and beyond their political function, the federal states also embody distinct regional identities. Their key role was enshrined in the Basic Law in 1949.

How many federal states does Germany have?

Since reunification in 1990, Germany has consisted of 16 federal states; five new states were established when the German Democratic Republic (GDR) joined the Federal Republic: Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. North Rhine-Westphalia is the state with the biggest population at around 18 million, while Bavaria is the largest in terms of surface area at around 70,540 square kilometres. The territory of three federal states is limited to a single metropolitan region: these are the “city states” of Berlin, Bremen/Bremerhaven and Hamburg.

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