In 2025 from 60,000 to around 120,000 members: The Left Party has grown significantly. She has become younger and more feminine.
afp | Die Left Party has recorded a significant increase in membership and at the same time significantly changed its membership structure. At the end of last year, the party had a total of 123,126 members – at the end of 2024 it had reported 58,532 members, according to figures announced on Saturday. The number has more than doubled, and the members have become younger and more female on average.
“The Left is younger and more female today, but above all bigger than ever before,” said the party leader Ines Schwerdtner the “Bild” newspaper, which first reported on the numbers. Accordingly, there was an almost continuous downward trend between 2018 and 2023, which then ended at the end of 2023. According to its own statements, the party experienced particularly strong popularity last year.
“This enormous influx is no coincidence: this year, tens of thousands were particularly looking for a political home in order to defend themselves against the growing right-wing shift and the social injustice of the federal government,” said Schwerdtner. Many not only became members, but also got involved locally. According to “Bild”, the strong influx is said to have led to organizational problems at times, for example when issuing new ID cards.
Increases in all federal states
According to the Left, the average age of party members is currently 38.6 years significantly lower than 2024 – back then it was around 45 years. The Left claims to be the party with the lowest average age in Germany. The proportion of women rose to 44.6 percent after 40.3 percent in 2024 and, according to the party, is higher than ever before.
According to its own information, the Left recorded regional growth in all federal states. The regional associations in North Rhine-Westphalia (22,864), Berlin (17,085), Baden-Württemberg (10,348), Saxony (11,362) and Bavaria (9,563) have a particularly large number of members. The average age is lowest in Bavaria at 33.7 years and 33.9 years in Lower Saxony.
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