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Germany
Women in decision-making positions
30%
Members of local deliberative bodies are women (7,072 elected women)
No woman is Head of State or Government
35%
Parliamentarians are women
50%
Ministers are women

Government organization

Germany is a federal republic with three spheres of government: federal, state, and local.

One tier of central government, one tier of intermediate government, one tier of intermediate/local government and one or two tiers of local government.
Federal government
  • Head of State: The Federal President is elected by the Federal Assembly (a body convened for that purpose and consisting of members of the lower house of the federal legislature, Bundestag - and an equal number of members elected by the state-level legislatures, Landtags).
  • Head of Government: The Federal Chancellor is appointed by the Federal President, after being proposed by the Federal President and elected by the Bundestag.
  • Legislative body: The bicameral legislature of the federal government of Germany comprises the Bundestag as the lower house and the Bundesrat as the upper house. Members of the Bundestag are directly elected by voters. Members of the Bundesrat are appointed by the Landtags (the state-level legislature).
  • Executive body: The Federal Government consists of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. The Federal Ministers are appointed by the Federal President on the proposal of the Federal Chancellor.
State-level government
  • Legislative body: The Landtag is a unicameral legislature whose members are directly elected by voters of the state.
  • Executive body: The senate/state government comprises senators/ministers and a mayor/senate president/minister-president, who is elected by the Landtag. The senators/ ministers are appointed by the mayor/senate president/minister-president and approved by the Landtag.
Local government
  • Organization: Local government is organized into one or two tiers in Germany. In rural areas, there are two tiers of local government: an upper tier of 294 rural districts and a lower tier of 10,787 municipalities. In urban areas, there is one tier of local government, consisting of 106 independent cities, the City-State of Hamburg, and the City-State of Berlin.
  • Independent cities possess the power and functions of both municipalities and districts. City-states possess both municipal and state-level powers and functions.
  • Competencies: Local government is responsible for issuing local statutes and ordinances, levying local taxes, and creating the public facilities necessary for the social, cultural, sporting, and economic well-being of their inhabitants.
  • Ministerial oversight: at the Lander level.

Overview of local government

Local government composition
City-State of Berlin (Stadtstaat Berlin)

Deliberative body: The Abgeordnetenhaus comprises at least 130 elected members. A parliamentary president presides over the Abgeordnetenhaus; the parliamentary president is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The Senate of Berlin consists of the Mayor of Berlin and up to eight appointed ministers.

City-State of Hamburg (Stadtstaat Hamburg)

Deliberative body: The Hamburgische Bürgerschaft is composed of 121 elected members. A parliamentary president presides over the council; the parliamentary president is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The Senate of Hamburg consists of up to 12 members: the mayor and additional appointed members.

Independent city-level government (Kreisfreie Städte/ Stadtkreise)

Deliberative body: The municipal council is composed of elected members. The mayor presides over the municipal council; the mayor is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The municipal committee is composed of the mayor and additional members.

Rural district-level government (Landkreise)

Deliberative body: The district council is composed of the district administrator and elected members. The district administrator presides over the district council; the district administrator is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The district committee is composed of the district administrator and additional members.

Municipalities (Gemeinden)

Deliberative body: The municipal council is composed of the mayor and elected members. The mayor presides over the municipal council; the mayor is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The municipal committee is composed of the mayor and additional members.

Local government elections
Electoral system

Electoral system for deliberative bodies: proportional representation (open list)

  • Each voter has three votes: the voter can choose to give a single candidate up to three votes or vote for three different candidates.

Electoral system for mayors and district administrators: majority/plurality (first-past-the-post)

  • Majority, using a separate ballot from the deliberative body.

Sources: Baden-Württemberg Municipal Election Act, 1983 (amended through 2020), articles 19, 25, 26 and 27; Bavaria District and Municipal Election Law, 2006 (amended through 2019), articles 34, 35, 36and 46; Constitution of Berlin, 1995 (amended through 2021), articles 39 and 56; Brandenburg Municipal Electoral Law, 2009 (amended through 2021), article 5; Bremen Electoral Law, 1955 (amended through 2018), article 7; Hesse Municipal Elections Act, 2005 (amended through 2021), articles 1, 18, 20 and 20a; Lower Saxony Municipal Election Law, 2014 (amended through 2021), article 4; Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Provincial and Municipal Electoral Law, 2010 (amended through 2021), article 60; North Rhine-Westphalia Local Electoral Code, 1993 (amended through 2020), article 61; Rhineland-Palatinate Local Election Code, 1983 (amended through 2021), article 53; Saarland Municipal Election Law, 2019 (amended through 2020), article 41; Saxony Municipal Election Act, 2018 (amended through 2020), articles 15, 21 and 22; Saxony-Anhalt Municipal Electoral Act, 2004 (amended through 2020), article 3; Schleswig-Holstein Municipal and District Electoral Law, 1997 (amended through 2021), articles 7 and 10; Thuringia District and Municipal Elections Law, 1993 (amended through 2019), articles 20 and 22

Quotas
  • Gender quotas: No
  • Additional quotas: No
Term of elections
  • Term length: varies by state, from 4 years (Bremen) to 6 years (Bavaria); typically 5 years
  • Last local elections: 2018 (in Schleswig-Holstein) to 2021 (in Hesse and Lower Saxony)
  • Next local elections: 2023 (in Schleswig Holstein), 2024 (in Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia), 2025 (in North Rhine-Westphalia) and 2026 (in Bavaria, Hesse and Lower Saxony)
Electoral management body

Lander returning officers

National legal framework on local government
National legal framework
  • Basic Law, 1949 (amended through 2021);
  • Constitution of Baden-Württemberg, 1953 (amended through 2020);
  • Baden-Württemberg Municipal Code, 2000 (amended through 2020);
  • Baden-Württemberg Municipal Election Act, 1983 (amended through 2020);
  • Bavaria District and Municipal Election Law, 2006 (amended through 2021);
  • Bavaria District and Municipal Electoral Code 2006 (amended through 2019);
  • Bavaria Municipal Code, 1998 (amended through 2021);
  • Constitution of Berlin, 1995 (amended through 2021);
  • Brandenburg Municipal Electoral Law, 2009 (amended through 2021);
  • Brandenburg Municipal Election Ordinance, 2008 (amended through 2018);
  • Brandenburg Municipal Constitution, 2007 (amended through 2021);
  • Constitution of Bremen, 1947 (amended through 2019);
  • Constitution for the City of Bremerhaven, 2015 (amended through 2020);
  • Bremen Electoral Ordinance, 1990 (amended through 2018);
  • Bremen Electoral Law, 1955 (amended through 2018);
  • Constitution of Hamburg, 1952 (amended through 2020);
  • Hamburg Electoral Code District Assemblies, 2013 (amended through 2019);
  • Hamburg District Administrative Law, 2006 (amended through 2021);
  • Hamburg Law on District Elections, 2004 (amended through 2018);
  • Constitution of Hesse, 1946 (amended through 2018);
  • Hesse Municipal Code, 2005 (amended through 2020);
  • Hesse District Regulation, 2005 (amended through 2015);
  • Hesse Municipal Elections Act, 2005 (amended through 2021);
  • Hesse Local Electoral Code, 2000 (amended through 2020);
  • Constitution of Lower Saxony, 1993 (amended through 2020);
  • Lower Saxony Municipal Election Law, 2014 (amended through 2021);
  • Lower Saxony Municipal Code, 2010 (amended through 2021);
  • Lower Saxony Municipal Election Ordinance, 2006 (amended through 2021);
  • Constitution of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 1993 (amended through 2021);
  • Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Municipal Constitution, 2011 (amended through 2019);
  • Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Provincial and Local Electoral Regulations, 2011 (amended through 2021);
  • Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Provincial and Municipal Electoral Law, 2010 (amended through 2021);
  • Constitution of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1950 (amended through 2020);
  • North Rhine-Westphalia Area Associations Act, 1994;
  • North Rhine-Westphalia District Order, 1994 (amended through 2021);
  • North Rhine-Westphalia Municipal Code, 1994 (amended through 2022);
  • North Rhine-Westphalia Local Electoral Code, 1993 (amended through 2020);
  • Constitution for Rhineland-Palatinate, 1947 (amended through 2015);
  • Rhineland-Palatinate Municipal Election Law, 1994 (amended through 2020);
  • Rhineland-Palatinate Municipal Code, 1994 (amended through 2020);
  • Rhineland-Palatinate District Ordinance, 1994 (amended through 2020);
  • Rhineland-Palatinate Local Election Code, 1983 (amended through 2021);
  • Constitution of Saarland, 1947 (amended through 2019);
  • Saarland Municipal Election Law, 2019 (amended through 2020);
  • Saarland Municipal Self-Administration Act, 1964 (amended through 2020);
  • Constitution of Saxony, 1992 (amended through 2014);
  • Saxony District Order, 2018 (amended through 2020);
  • Saxony Municipal Code, 2018 (amended through 2020);
  • Saxony Municipal Election Act, 2018 (amended through 2020);
  • Saxony Municipal Election Order, 2018;
  • Constitution of Saxony-Anhalt, 1992 (amended through 2020);
  • Saxony-Anhalt Municipal Act, 2014 (amended through 2021);
  • Saxony-Anhalt Municipal Electoral Act, 2004 (amended through 2020);
  • Saxony-Anhalt Local Electoral Ordinance, 1994 (amended through 2018);
  • Constitution of Schleswig-Holstein, 2014 (amended through 2021);
  • Schleswig-Holstein Municipal and District Electoral Ordinance, 2019 (amended through 2020);
  • Schleswig-Holstein Municipal Code, 2003 (amended through 2021);
  • Schleswig-Holstein Municipal and District Electoral Law, 1997 (amended through 2021);
  • Constitution of Thuringia, 1993 (amended through 2004);
  • Thuringia Municipal Electoral Regulations, 2009 (amended through 2021);
  • Thuringia Municipal and District Council Code, 2003 (amended through 2021);
  • Thuringia District and Municipal Elections Law, 1993 (amended through 2019).
Constitutional provisions on local government

There are constitutional provisions that establish local government in Germany. According to Article 28 of the Basic Law of 1949 (revised through 2021), “in each Land, county, and municipality the people shall be represented by a body chosen in general, direct, free, equal and secret elections. Municipalities must be guaranteed the right to regulate all local affairs on their own responsibility within the limits prescribed by the laws. The guarantee of self-government shall extend to the bases of financial autonomy; these bases shall include the right of municipalities to a source of tax revenues based upon economic ability and the right to establish the rates at which these sources shall be taxed.”

Legislative provisions on local government

The Landtag of the respective state is responsible for establishing the legal framework on local government. The key pieces of legislation that regulate local government are the municipal codes and district ordinances of the state (Table 1), which establish the municipal and district affairs with the aim of promoting the well-being of local inhabitants.

Sources:

1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2023.

2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 3 October 2023.

3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2023.

4. IPU and UN Women: Data on share of women in ministerial positions as of 1 January 2023.

5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2022.