Facebook
Twitter
Email
Cancel
Bundestag 2017

What You Need to Know About the German Election in Charts

Behind the numbers in Angela Merkel's re-election

By Jovi Juan and Yaryna Serkez
Updated Sept. 25, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. ET
|
Published Sept. 24 at 9:00 p.m.
Related: Merkel’s Coalition Wins German Election, but Share of Votes Drops

The Christian Democrats win, but support slips

Angela Merkel's conservative alliance won the election but she scored her party’s worst result since 1949, as an anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party saw gains in the South, where the migrant crisis hit hardest.

Plurality winners by state

Social Democrats

Christian Democrats*

Alternative for Germany

Former border of

East Germany

CDU/CSU Results

35%

30

Schleswig-

Holstein

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Hamburg

Hamburg

Berlin

Bremen

Brandenburg

Lower Saxony

Berlin

Saxony-

Anhalt

Munich

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Thuringia

AfD Results

Hesse

10

15%

Rhineland-

Palatinate

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Munich

Plurality winners by state

Christian Democrats*

Alternative for Germany

Social Democrats

Former border of

East Germany

CDU/CSU Results

35%

30

Schleswig-

Holstein

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Hamburg

Hamburg

Berlin

Bremen

Brandenburg

Lower Saxony

Berlin

Saxony-

Anhalt

Munich

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Thuringia

AfD Results

Hesse

10

15%

Rhineland-

Palatinate

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Munich

Plurality winners by state

Social Democrats

Christian Democrats*

Alternative for Germany

Former border of

East Germany

CDU/CSU Results

35%

30

Schleswig-

Holstein

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Hamburg

Hamburg

Berlin

Bremen

Brandenburg

Lower Saxony

Berlin

Saxony-

Anhalt

Munich

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Thuringia

AfD Results

Hesse

15%

10

Rhineland-

Palatinate

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Munich

Plurality winners by state

Christian Democrats*

Alternative for Germany

Social Democrats

Former border of

East Germany

Schleswig-

Holstein

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Hamburg

Brandenburg

Bremen

Lower Saxony

Berlin

Saxony-

Anhalt

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Thuringia

Hesse

Rhineland-

Palatinate

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Munich

CDU/CSU Results

AfD Results

30

35%

15

10

Hamburg

Berlin

Munich

Source: Federal Returning Officer

CDU/CSU
SPD
AfD
The Left
Greens
FDP
former East Germany states
Height of bar reflects population in millions
Merkel's Christian Democrats* did well in larger, more populous states...
32.6%38.8%34.4%34.9%30.9%26.9%35.9%22.7%North Rhine-WestphaliaBavariaBaden-WürttembergLower SaxonyHesseSaxonyRhineland-PalatinateBerlinNational result: 32.9%
...while her main rival, the Social Democrats and Martin Schultz lagged in key states in the west.
26.0%15.3%16.4%27.4%23.5%10.5%24.2%17.9%North Rhine-WestphaliaBavariaBaden-WürttembergLower SaxonyHesseSaxonyRhineland-PalatinateBerlin20.5%
The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany scored votes in the small former East German states and the south...
9.4%12.4%12.2%9.1%11.9%27.0%11.2%12.0%North Rhine-WestphaliaBavariaBaden-WürttembergLower SaxonyHesseSaxonyRhineland-PalatinateBerlin12.6%
...where the Left also outperformed their average.
7.5%6.1%6.4%6.9%8.1%16.1%6.8%18.8%North Rhine-WestphaliaBavariaBaden-WürttembergLower SaxonyHesseSaxonyRhineland-PalatinateBerlin9.2%
The Greens gained enough votes to get into the Bundestag...
7.6%9.8%13.5%8.7%9.7%4.6%7.6%12.6%North Rhine-WestphaliaBavariaBaden-WürttembergLower SaxonyHesseSaxonyRhineland-PalatinateBerlin8.9%
...while CDU’s close ally the Free Democrats returned after missing the 5% cut in 2013.
13.1%10.2%12.7%9.3%11.6%8.2%10.4%8.9%North Rhine-WestphaliaBavariaBaden-WürttembergLower SaxonyHesseSaxonyRhineland-PalatinateBerlin10.7%

The two largest parties performed poorly...

...leaving the "Jamaica coalition" the most likely option

Christian Democrats, Free Democrats and the Greens party colors mirror the colors of the Jamaican flag


AfD gets into Parliament

This is the first time since 1945 a party this far to the right will sit in the German parliament.

The Party’s Performance

Alternative for Germany (AfD) saw gains across all states, but especially in the east and in southern areas affected by migration.

AfD 2017 results

AfD in 2013 election

AfD in 2017 election

15%

10

Former border of

East Germany

States in former

East Germany

Saxony

Schleswig-

Holstein

Thuringia

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Brandenburg

Hamburg

Saxony-Anhalt

Brandenburg

Bremen

Lower

Saxony

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

Berlin

Berlin*

Saxony-

Anhalt

States in

southern Germany

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Bavaria

Thuringia

Hesse

Baden-Württemberg

Hesse

Rhineland-

Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate

Saarland

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Others

Munich

Bremen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Lower Saxony

Schleswig-Holstein

Hamburg

15

10

0%

20

25

5

AfD 2017 results

AfD in 2013 election

AfD in 2017 election

15%

10

Former border of

East Germany

States in former

East Germany

Saxony

Schleswig-

Holstein

Thuringia

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Brandenburg

Hamburg

Saxony-Anhalt

Brandenburg

Bremen

Lower

Saxony

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

Berlin

Berlin*

Saxony-

Anhalt

States in

southern Germany

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Bavaria

Thuringia

Hesse

Baden-Württemberg

Hesse

Rhineland-

Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate

Saarland

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Others

Munich

Bremen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Lower Saxony

Schleswig-Holstein

Hamburg

20

10

5

25

15

0%

AfD 2017 results

AfD in 2013 election

AfD in 2017 election

10

15%

Former border of

East Germany

States in former

East Germany

Saxony

Schleswig-

Holstein

Thuringia

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Brandenburg

Hamburg

Saxony-Anhalt

Brandenburg

Bremen

Lower

Saxony

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

Berlin

Berlin*

Saxony-

Anhalt

States in

southern Germany

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Bavaria

Thuringia

Hesse

Baden-Württemberg

Hesse

Rhineland-

Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate

Saarland

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Others

Munich

Bremen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Lower Saxony

Schleswig-Holstein

Hamburg

0%

25

5

10

15

20

AfD 2017 results

Former border of

East Germany

15%

10

Schleswig-

Holstein

Mecklenburg-

West Pomerania

Hamburg

Brandenburg

Bremen

Lower Saxony

Berlin

Saxony-

Anhalt

North Rhine-

Westphalia

Saxony

Hesse

Saarland

bavaria

Baden-

Württemberg

Munich

AfD in 2013 election

AfD in 2017 election

States in former

East Germany

Saxony

Thuringia

Brandenburg

Saxony-Anhalt

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

Berlin*

States in

southern Germany

Bavaria

Baden-Württemberg

Hesse

Rhineland-Palatinate

Saarland

Others

Bremen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Lower Saxony

Schleswig-Holstein

Hamburg

0%

25

10

15

5

20

*Berlin was partitioned

Source: Federal Returning Officer (2013, 2017 results)

Voter Profiles

By some measures, supporters of Alternative for Germany are outliers when compared with backers of other parties.

Alternative for Germany

Christian Democrats*

Social Democrats

Left

Greens

Free Democrats

Their supporters are more likely to be male...

Percentage of male supporters

40%

69%

…tend to live in less densely populated areas…

Percentage of supporters in towns with fewer than 20,000 people

55%

32%

...have blue-collar jobs…

Percentage of supporters classified as laborers

34%

9%

...and earn less

Average hourly wages

€14.56

€26.83

Christian Democrats*

Alternative for Germany

Social Democrats

Left

Greens

Free Democrats

Their supporters are more likely to be male...

Percentage of male supporters

40%

69%

…tend to live in less densely populated areas…

Percentage of supporters in towns with fewer than 20,000 people

55%

32%

...have blue-collar jobs…

Percentage of supporters classified as laborers

34%

9%

...and earn less

Average hourly wages

€26.83

€14.56

Alternative for Germany

Christian Democrats*

Social Democrats

Free Democrats

Left

Greens

Their supporters are more likely to be male...

Percentage of male supporters

40%

69%

…tend to live in less densely populated areas…

Percentage of supporters in towns with fewer than 20,000 people

55%

32%

...have blue-collar jobs…

Percentage of supporters classified as laborers

34%

9%

...and earn less

Average hourly wages

€14.56

€26.83

Alternative for Germany

Social Democrats

Free Democrats

Christian Democrats*

Greens

Left

Their supporters are

more likely to be male…

Percentage of male supporters

40%

69%

…tend to live in less densely

populated areas…

Percentage of supporters in towns with

fewer than 20,000 people

55%

32%

...have blue-collar jobs…

Percentage of supporters classified

as laborers

34%

9%

...and earn less

Average hourly wages

€26.83

€14.56

Sources: German Institute for Economic Research analysis based on an ALLBUS survey of about 3,500 respondents conducted in March-September 2016 (male support, residence, employment); SOEP panel study, 2015 (wages)

€1=$1.19
*Includes Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union

Additional Credit
Share this story:
Follow WSJ Visuals: