30 Years of German Reunification

30 years ago, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, East and West Germany was reunified and became one country again. Back in 1990 there were large differences in the average incomes and life expectancy of people living in the former East and West Germany. After 30 years of reunification many of these economic and demographic differences have disappeared. However some of the inequalities between the two areas have proved more persistent.

The national German Mapping Agency and the Institute for Population Research has released 30 Years of German Unity & Diversity, which maps the demographic and economic developments in Germany since reunification. Using a series of interactive maps 30 Years of German Unity and Diversity visualizes a number of different demographic and economic metrics. 

These maps reveal that the differences in life expectancy between East and West 30 years ago have now largely disappeared. Immediately after reunification there was a relatively large flow of young Germans moving from East to West Germany. 30 years later the movements of young people between West and East has also more or less equalized. 

You can also explore German demographic and economic data on a Berliner Morgenpost map. The Berliner Morgenpost has decided to celebrate the reunification of Germany by allowing you to divide Germany into two again - and compare data between your two halves.

30 years of German unity - East West? North South? Or completely different? is a clever interactive map which allows you to divide Germany in two. Using the interactive map you can draw a line anywhere across Germany to divide the country into two separate sections. Once you have divided the country in two you can view a number of choropleth maps showing how the two divided sections compare - using a number of different social, economic and demographic metrics. 

These metrics include the difference in life expectancy between your two divided sections, the average age, the gender pay gap and even the number of Olympic medals. The map includes three pre-cut views which allow you to view the differences between the old East Germany and West Germany, the difference between South and North Germany and the region of Bavaria and the rest of Germany.