Where Data Tells the Story
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In 2024, around 202,700 employees subject to social security contributions were resident in one of the nine neighbouring countries and worked in Germany. Since 2011, this figure has more than doubled. By far the largest group comes from Poland, with 97,900 people, just under half of all cross-border commuters. France follows with 41,300, and the Czech Republic with 39,400. Together, these three countries account for around 88 % of all cross-border employment relationships. The map shows just how concentrated this is regionally, with dense clusters around Saarbrücken and along the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic. In 2024, the figures fell slightly for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, by around 0.5 %. The BBSR cites the tightened border controls introduced in October 2023 and the weak economic climate in the manufacturing sector as possible causes.