home Office Use Stabilizes in Germany, Driven by commute Length and Family Needs
Berlin, Germany – Around 24% of employed individuals in Germany worked from home at least occasionally in 2024, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This figure remains consistent with 2023 (23%) and 2022 (24%), demonstrating a meaningful shift from pre-pandemic levels when only 13% of employees utilized home office in 2019. While less prevalent than during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become a firmly established practice.
The trend shows a move away from fully remote work. In 2024, only 24% of home office users worked exclusively from home, down from 26% in 2023 and a high of 31% in 2021. Conversely, the number of employees spending more time at the office than at home has increased: 46% worked more often at their workplace in 2024, compared to 44% in 2023 and 31% in 2021.
Commute Distance a Key Factor: A clear correlation exists between commute distance and home office usage.42% of employees with a commute of 50 kilometers or more utilized home office in 2024. This is up eight percentage points from 2020 (34%).Employees with a 25-50 kilometer commute saw a six-percentage-point increase as 2020, reaching 29%. Those with commutes under 5 kilometers had the lowest home office usage at 14%. This suggests employees are willing to accept longer commutes knowing they can mitigate travel time with remote work options.
Family Considerations: Age demographics indicate a link between home office and work-life balance, notably childcare. The 35-44 age group reported the highest home office usage (29%), followed closely by 25-34 year olds (28%).Younger workers (15-24) utilized home office the least (11%).
European Context: Germany’s home office rate is slightly above the EU average of 23%. Though, countries like the Netherlands (52%), Sweden (46%), and Luxembourg (43%) have significantly higher rates, while Bulgaria (3%), Romania (4%), and Greece (8%) report very low usage.
