On February 23, 2025, Germany witnessed a record-breaking voter turnout of 83.5%, the highest since the unification in 1990. This early federal election was necessitated after the collapse of the three-way coalition government consisting of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the neo-liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) in late 2024.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), led by chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, secured the most votes in the election. They were followed by the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), which made significant gains.
The election saw the far-right AfD as the biggest winner in terms of voter gains. In contrast, the SPD, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, suffered the largest loss compared to previous elections.
German voters have two votes: one for a candidate representing their constituency and another for a party's state list. The first vote determines direct candidates in each electoral district, while the second vote establishes the party strength in the Bundestag. Of the 630 seats in the Bundestag, a party must secure at least 5% of the votes to enter parliament, with exceptions for parties winning in at least three electoral districts.
Despite the CDU/CSU winning the largest vote share, they fell short of an absolute majority, gaining 208 seats. They need a coalition to reach the 316-seat majority. The CDU has ruled out a coalition with the AfD, leaving a grand coalition with the SPD or a three-way coalition including the Greens as potential options.
The election showed significant voter migration, with many moving away from the center-left SPD to the conservative CDU/CSU, which gained about 2 million votes from the Social Democrats. The Left Party also benefited, gaining votes from both the SPD and the Greens.
Younger voters, aged 18 to 24, leaned toward extremes, favoring the far-right AfD and the Left Party. Traditional parties like the SPD and CDU received minimal support from this age group, while the Greens saw one of their lowest percentages among young voters. Voters over 60 favored the SPD and CDU.
Men tended to vote more conservatively, favoring the CDU and AfD, while women leaned towards the SPD, Greens, and the Left Party. Gender differences were minor, except for the AfD.
Voters without a college education showed a preference for conservative parties like the CDU and AfD, with the SPD following. Those with higher education were more likely to vote for the Greens and the Left Party.
Nationally, the AfD received around 20% of the vote, with significant regional variations. The AfD emerged as the strongest force in eastern Germany, notably in states like Brandenburg and Thuringia. Conversely, the CDU/CSU performed better in the south, west, and north, with the CSU winning all constituencies in Bavaria. The SPD maintained strong support in the north and west.
In the western regions, for the first time, the AfD secured the majority of second votes in Gelsenkirchen and Kaiserslautern, although SPD candidates won most first votes.
