Germany Divided

Health, care & schools

Pharmacies

Public pharmacies (main and branch pharmacies) per 100,000 inhabitants, 31 December, 31.12.2025

The eastern states had 22.3 pharmacies per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of 2025, 1.1 times the western rate of 19.5. Saxony-Anhalt (25.4) and Saarland (24.7) have the densest networks, Bremen (16.7) the thinnest; Berlin has 18.2. Germany had 16,601 pharmacies in total, 2,756 of them in the East.

< 18.2 per 100k18.2 per 100k19.6 per 100k21.0 per 100k22.5 per 100k≥ 24.0 per 100k

Inner-German border 1949–1990 ·16 states · 31.12.2025

Former West

19.5 per 100k

excl. Berlin

Former East

22.3 per 100k

excl. Berlin

Berlin

18.2 per 100k

Germany

19.9 per 100k

The East stands at 114% of the West's level (31.12.2025).

By state

Former WestFormer EastBerlin
  1. Sachsen-Anhalt25.4 per 100k
  2. Saarland24.7 per 100k
  3. Thüringen22.9 per 100k
  4. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern22.3 per 100k
  5. Sachsen21.5 per 100k
  6. Brandenburg20.5 per 100k
  7. Niedersachsen20.3 per 100k
  8. Hessen20.3 per 100k
  9. Bayern19.8 per 100k
  10. Nordrhein-Westfalen19.5 per 100k
  11. Rheinland-Pfalz19.2 per 100k
  12. Schleswig-Holstein18.7 per 100k
  13. Hamburg18.7 per 100k
  14. Baden-Württemberg18.6 per 100k
  15. Berlin18.2 per 100k
  16. Bremen16.7 per 100k

31.12.2025

Notes & caveats

  • ABDA is the national association of pharmacists, not an official statistics office; its counts come from the state pharmacists' chambers (ABDA-Statistik).
  • All public pharmacies with an operating licence, including branch pharmacies (Filialapotheken). Hospital pharmacies are not included. Mail-order pharmacies are counted only as their physical premises.
  • Our calculation: pharmacies ÷ Destatis population on 31.12.2025 × 100,000. ABDA publishes whole-number densities; ours agree to within 1. East = the five eastern states without Berlin.
  • Density reflects settlement structure as well as supply: thinly populated states need more outlets per head to keep travel distances short.
Show the table
StateSide31.12.2025
Saarlandwest24.7 per 100k
Berlinberlin18.2 per 100k
Brandenburgeast20.5 per 100k
Mecklenburg-Vorpommerneast22.3 per 100k
Sachseneast21.5 per 100k
Sachsen-Anhalteast25.4 per 100k
Thüringeneast22.9 per 100k
Schleswig-Holsteinwest18.7 per 100k
Hamburgwest18.7 per 100k
Niedersachsenwest20.3 per 100k
Bremenwest16.7 per 100k
Nordrhein-Westfalenwest19.5 per 100k
Hessenwest20.3 per 100k
Rheinland-Pfalzwest19.2 per 100k
Baden-Württembergwest18.6 per 100k
Bayernwest19.8 per 100k