Deutschlandticket was more popular than ever in 2025

The number of people with a Deutschlandticket continues a general steady increase. But the German Rail Passenger Association (DBV) says the government is ignoring the ticket’s full potential.

Deutschlandticket subscriptions on the rise

Nearly three years after its introduction, the Deutschlandticket remains a big hit. In 2025, the number of people in Germany with a Deutschlandticket subscription, which permits unlimited travel on public and regional transport for 63 euros per month, increased by nearly one million.

Over the course of 2025, around 170,8 million Deutschlandticket subscriptions were used. Every month, an average of 14,2 million people had a Deutschlandticket subscription, nearly 20 percent of the population of Germany.

In May 2023, when the ticket launched, around 6,4 million people bought a subscription. By September 2023, subscriptions had surpassed 10 million, and in August 2024, surpassed 14 million for the first time. In October and November 2025, the ticket was more popular than ever before, with 14,7 million people holding a subscription; this fell to 14,5 in December.

DBV: German gov’t is ignoring ticket’s potential

In response to the Deutschlandticket figures, which were released following an information request filed by The Left Party (die Linke), the German Rail Passenger Association (DBV) has accused the government of ignoring the ticket’s potential.

The DBV says there is a “glaring discrepancy” between the way the CDU/CSU-SPD government primarily presents the ticket as a financial burden and its effectiveness in reducing costs long term.

“With annual costs of 1,5 billion euros shared between the federal and state governments, the financial burden per subscriber amounts to just 17,56 euros per year,” the DBV explained. This is compared to “at least 3.000 euros in subsidies per new electric car (which equates to over 170 years of subsidies for the Deutschlandticket)”.

The DBV said an invitation issued in October 2025 to discuss the Deutschlandticket’s potential with Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) had gone unanswered and accused the government of “ignoring the potential to reduce mobility costs through increased use of trains and buses, but also the opportunity to make the ticket a key component of the transportation transition (Verkehrswende) and a solution to rising fuel prices”.