Germany's population hits record high of 82.8 million people after 280,000 migrants arrive in one year

Germany's population has hit a record high of 82.8million people due to a a record number of migrants arriving in the country, new official statistics have revealed.

The Federal Statistics office confirmed that as a preliminary estimate for 2016, the population grew by 600,000 alone last year with 280,000 migrants arriving on German soil.

The total number has eclipsed the previous record high of 82.5million recorded at the end of 2002, even though the number of deaths in 2016 exceeded the number of birth in Germany by 190,000.

Deaths have exceed births in Germany since 1972, with a total of more than five million fewer births than deaths.

However, countering that trend, more than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and beyond flocked to Germany in 2015 and 2016, drawn by its strong economy, relatively liberal asylum laws and generous system of benefits.

And since the height of the euro zone debt crisis, Germany is also attracting many migrants from other European countries such as Greece and Spain.

The figures used to calculate net migration were based on numbers signing up at registration offices.

Asylum seekers are initially housed in reception centres and generally only registered later.

German government support for refugees has climbed in recent years.
It is believed around one million migrants have arrived in Europe with many wanting to travel to Germany to settle after Chancellor Angela Merkel adopted an open-door policy.
For 2016 and 2017 the government set aside 28.7 billion euros ($30.64 billion) in funding to accommodate and integrate the more than one million asylum seekers who entered the country, the ministry said.