Germany's Youngest Major City

A total of 1.4 million residents and 960,000 gainfully employed persons make Munich Germany’s third-largest city and the country's second-largest employment hub. Bucking the national trend, the Bavarian capital is forecast to see substantial population growth continue.

Thanks to a consistently higher birth rate than the death rate and significant inward migration – much of which is made up of well-educated and highly skilled young people – the city's population is slated to rise by just under 11 percent to 1.5 million in the next 20 years. This development establishes Munich as Germany’s youngest major city.

No other city is home to the head offices of so many large companies. Seven companies listed in the DAX 30 are headquartered either in or around Munich.

The Bavarian capital and the surrounding area form one of Europe’s most dynamic economic regions. An impressively strong economy, a favorable geographic location and an efficient infrastructure add up to ideal conditions for the corporate sector. Impressive purchasing power of 24,879 Euros per capita and a jobless rate of 4.7 percent, which is the lowest of any German major city, highlight the forceful competitive edge enjoyed by the City of Munich.

A huge market: The Munich Metropolitan Region
To continue to thrive in global competition, it is important to be perceived by the international community as an important and successful business region. That is precisely the reason why the City of Munich and its outlying districts and counties joined forces to form the Munich Metropolitan Region (MMR). The MMR pools the resources and energies of the public sector, various chambers, the business community, society at large and the scientific community. Accounting for 44 percent of Bavaria's population (5.5 million inhabitants) and nearly 50 percent of its GDP, this region is unquestionable the economic engine of the Free State of Bavaria.

Do you know Munich's business champions?
No other city is home to the head offices of so many large companies. Seven companies listed in the DAX 30 are headquartered either in or around Munich. Allianz, BMW, Infineon, Linde, MAN, Munich Re and Siemens are true champions both in Munich and in industries they serve.

Munich also hosts nine respected companies that are likewise world leaders in their field: ARRI, Giesecke & Devrient, Knorr-Bremse, MorphoSys, MTU Aero Engines, Osram, Rohde & Schwarz, Pro Sieben Sat1 and Wacker.

The Munich mix
The city's economic vitality is rooted in the balanced and diverse economic structure known as the »Munich mix«. Global players rub shoulders with promising start-ups, manufacturers with service providers, skilled crafts with forward-looking clusters.

While many business regions lead the field in one advanced sector, Munich is the leader in many of them. It is precisely this depth and breadth that has given the Bavarian capital such an impressive track record of sustained and sustainable growth.

Around 235,000 people in the Munich region work in the service industry, mostly in media, finance and corporate services, engineering and accounting. Almost as many again are employed in both the information and communication industry (175,000 people) and the automotive sector (185,000 people). At the same time other high-tech industries such as aerospace, medical engineering, nanotechnology, optics, photonics, measuring and control technology and clean technology also deliver a steady stream of innovative stimulus.
Three examples underscore Munich's claim to be Germany's most successful large city:

• Some of the world's most admired cars and trucks are made in Munich. But this is far from all: The research, design and production services and components that give these vehicles their world-beating quality and performance also come from the local region.
• Munich's community of programmers - the largest-in-Europe - has always been a trendsetter in the continent's information and communication technology industry: Every conceivable aspect of the I&C industry - from maintenance to PCs to the Internet to mobile communication to apps to embedded and cloud computing to animation - is serviced here.
• The world's second-largest publishing community and Germany's largest film, TV and radio industry are based in Munich. The Bavarian capital is also home to Germany's largest insurance, asset management, venture capital, private equity and trade financing sectors as well as to the country's number two banking community.

Research and development
Fourteen universities and more than 91,000 students single Munich out as the country's second-biggest center of higher education. The Ludwig Maximilians Universität (LMU) and Technische Universität München (TUM) have the highest percentage of foreign students in Germany (around 16 percent) and consistently occupy top ranks in the acquisition of external funding. At the same time, the city is home to world-renowned research institutions such as the Max Planck Society and the Fraunhofer Society. The presence of both the European Patent Office and the German Patent and Trademark Office expedites the translation of knowledge into practical innovation.

Munich Technology Center
The support provided by the City of Munich to promote innovation draws international acclaim. The worldwide Technopolicy Network for example, recently singled out the Munich Technology Center (MTZ) as one of the world's leading science incubators. Over the past 16 years, more than 300 young companies have seen their businesses flourish and grow at the MTZ, creating at least 1,000 new jobs in the process.

Easy access
Munich also stands out as the most important traffic hub on both the west-to-east and north-to-south trade axes, boasting an excellent rail network and direct access to no fewer than seven freeways. Munich Airport, Germany’s second-largest, serves over 240 destinations in around 70 countries. According to Skytrax, the respected independent auditor of airline and airport services, that polled nearly 10 million travelers and used 40 criteria to arrive at its authorative 2011 ranking, Munich Airport is Europe's best airport and one of the five best in the world. Besides its pre-eminent position in air travel, the Bavarian Capital also ranks as a leading European rail hub. Munich Central Station is Germany's second-largest passenger railway station handling some 350,000 passengers and visitors daily. Over 220 long-distance connections and 250 regional destinations are served every day.

Sustainability
Munich is a byword for progress and sustainability. By 2025, the public utility Stadtwerke München plans to supply all business and private customers exclusively with power generated from renewable sources. Munich will thus become the first major German city to meet this power generation and climate protection target.

Quality of life
A city's attractiveness is crucial to its economic success. Munich boasts an outstanding infrastructure, a low crime rate and an enviable quality of life. Some 23 % of Munich's residents are non-Germans, 40% have at least one non-German parent. Given such a rich cosmopolitan flair, it should come as no surprise that the city has also built up an extensive infrastructure to serve its international needs. This infrastructure begins with an educational system that includes more than 13 international schools and 70 international childcare facilities – everything, in other words, that ex-pats need to hit the ground running in this extremely child-friendly city. Relocation services, social clubs, associations, platforms and no fewer than 102 consulates leave literally no gaps in ensuring a warm welcome to this exhilarating place.

Culture
Munich's artistic and cultural facilities are truly first-class. Much of the world's best art is located in the Pinakotheks (Old, New and Modern) and in the nearby galleries on the Königsplatz square. Opera and theater fans flock to the Nationaltheater, Kammerspiele and other world-class venues. Numerous parks and open spaces in the city, the picturesque River Isar and the delightful Alpine foothills add the finishing touches, creating the ideal setting for leisure and relaxation.