Germany's work from home rate rises above EU average

A press release from the Federal Office for Statistics (destatis) has shown that 25 percent of employees in Germany worked from home in 2025. Germany’s home office rate is now higher than the EU average.

Home office in Germany as popular as during pandemic

The rate of people working from home has increased only slightly since 2024. Regardless, the number of remote workers in 2025 has once again reached the same rate as in 2021.

Overall, the number of people working from home has increased significantly compared to before the pandemic, when, in 2019, only 13 percent of employees made use of their home office. However, employees do not use their home for work as much as they did in 2022; almost half still prefer working in the office.

In the IT sector, remote working is most common. In large corporations, working from home is usually more popular than in smaller companies. Employees aged 35 to 44 make the most use of home office offers, while those aged 15 to 24 still largely work in person. Destatis assumes that entry-level jobs usually offer fewer opportunities to work from home.

In the EU, the Netherlands has the highest home office rate with 52 percent. With an EU-wide average of 23 percent, Germany is still among the top countries for working from home.

Does working from home save energy? 

Working from home is becoming increasingly popular and accepted as fuel prices continue to rise. Using their own home for work allows employees to save on gas and the money they would otherwise spend on their commute to the office.

In an effort to save energy, the European Commission is planning to introduce measures to further promote working from home. According to the Financial Times, the commission wishes to encourage businesses to ensure at least one day of compulsory remote working where possible.