Germany Administrative Divisions

Name: Germany Administrative Divisions Dataset
Creator: GeoPostcodes
License: https://www.geopostcodes.com/pricing/

What is the hierarchy of administrative divisions in Germany?

Germany’s administrative system consists of federal states, which are divided into districts (rural districts and district-free cities), and further into municipalities as the smallest administrative units. In some states, municipalities are grouped into collective associations.

Here’s a breakdown of the hierarchy:

Federal States (Bundesländer): Germany is divided into several federal states.

Districts (Kreise): Each state is subdivided into districts, which include rural districts ( Landkreise ) and district-free cities ( kreisfreie Städte ).

Municipalities (Gemeinden): Districts and district-free cities are further subdivided into municipalities, which form the smallest official administrative units.

Collective Municipalities (Verbandsgemeinden/Samtgemeinden): In some states, smaller municipalities are grouped into collective associations for administrative purposes. This level does not exist in all states.

List of Germany's administrative divisions with their counts and names

These are the summarized administrative divisions. The full dataset is available in the Download Center.

iso	country	admin level 1	admin level 2	admin level 3	admin level 4
DE	Germany	Baden-Wurttemberg (State)	4 Counties	35 Districts, 9 District-free towns	451 Community associations
DE	Germany	Bavaria (State)	7 Counties	25 District-free towns, 71 Districts	1360 Community associations, 1 Unincorporated area
DE	Germany	Berlin (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	1 District-free town	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
DE	Germany	Brandenburg (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	14 Districts, 4 District-free towns	189 Community associations
DE	Germany	Bremen (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	2 District-free towns	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
DE	Germany	Hamburg (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	1 District-free town	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
DE	Germany	Hesse (State)	3 Counties	21 Districts, 5 District-free towns	416 Community associations
DE	Germany	Lower Saxony (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	37 Districts, 8 District-free towns	406 Community associations, 4 Unincorporated areas
DE	Germany	Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	2 District-free towns, 6 Districts	114 Community associations
DE	Germany	North Rhine-Westphalia (State)	5 Counties	23 District-free towns, 30 Districts	374 Community associations
DE	Germany	Rhineland-Palatinate (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	12 District-free towns, 24 Districts	158 Community associations
DE	Germany	Saarland (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	6 Districts	52 Community associations
DE	Germany	Saxony-Anhalt (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	11 Districts, 3 District-free towns	119 Community associations
DE	Germany	Saxony (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	10 Districts, 3 District-free towns	306 Community associations
DE	Germany	Schleswig-Holstein (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	11 Districts, 4 District-free towns	165 Community associations
DE	Germany	Thuringia (State)	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	17 Districts, 5 District-free towns	184 Community associations

Why is building an Administrative Divisions Database complex?

The complexity arises from inconsistent global standards, frequent boundary changes, non-uniform naming conventions (e.g., “suburb” in Australia vs. “county” in the US), and variations in administrative levels across countries. Integrating and harmonizing data from multiple sources requires advanced normalization, versioning, and geospatial validation techniques.

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Our standardized database overcomes the complexity of different administrative division
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each country’s unique administrative hierarchy.

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Updated: July 1, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the administrative divisions of Germany?

Germany is divided into 16 states (Länder), which form the top-level administrative units. These are subdivided into 19 counties (Regierungsbezirke). At the next level, there are 107 district-free towns (Kreisfreien Städte) and 293 districts (Landkreise). The smallest administrative level consists of 4,305 gemeindeverband. Major states include Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, and Berlin.

How many administrative levels does Germany have?

Germany has 4 administrative levels. Level 1: 16 states (Länder). Level 2: 19 counties (Regierungsbezirke). Level 3: 107 district-free towns (Kreisfreien Städte) and 293 districts (Landkreise). Level 4: 4,305 gemeindeverband.

How is Germany organized into states?

What is the difference between district-free towns and districts in Germany?

In Germany, district-free towns and districts both sit at administrative level 3 but serve different functions. District-free towns (kreisfreien städte) — there are 107 — are typically a larger city or urban area that govern itself independently. Districts (landkreise) — there are 293 — group multiple smaller municipalities under a shared administration.

What are administrative divisions called in German?

German administrative divisions have specific local names at each level. In German, states are called Länder; counties are called Regierungsbezirke; district-free towns are called Kreisfreien Städte; districts are called Landkreise. These local-language terms appear in official documents, legal records, and government databases, so matching them correctly is important for data integration and compliance.

How often do administrative boundaries change in Germany?

Administrative boundaries in Germany change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the gemeindeverband level, where Germany currently has 4,305 units. Businesses that rely on German administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.