Population development of Hof (Saale)

This article shows the population development of Hof .

The residents' registration office in Hof put the population at 47,296 in February 2018. Together with the registered secondary residences, there were around 49,300 inhabitants in the same year. According to the Bavarian State Office for Statistics, the population as of December 31, 2019 was 45,825. The number of births rose in 2017 by 23% compared to the previous year. Thus Hof had the largest increase in births in Upper Franconia.

Population development

Population development of Hof (Saale) from 1818 to 2018 according to the table below

year	Residents (state office)	Residents (citizens' office)
1818:	4,667
1840:	7,985
1880:	21,000
1900:	32,781
1920:	40,785
1939:	44,878
1945:	55.405
1950:	63,871	61.033
1955:	58.005

year	Residents (state office)	Residents (citizens' office)
1960:	58,595	57,414
1961:	57,129
1965:	55,810
1970:	54,454	54,515
1975:	54,644
1980:	53,180	53,488
1985:	51,035
1988:	50,938
1989:	52,319	52,713

year	Residents (state office)	Residents (citizens' office)
1990:	52,913	53,373
1995:	52,590	52,531
2000:	50,741	50,704
2004:	49.163	49,154
2006:	48.124
2008:	47,334	46,997
2010:	46.286	46,039
2011:	45,943	45,635
2012:	44,461	45,660

year	Residents (state office)	Residents (citizens' office)
2013:	44,522	45,562
2014:	44,325
2015:	44,660
2016:	45.183
2017:	45,950	47,272
2018:	45,930	47,296

The population of the city of Hof has remained relatively the same over the centuries. In the Middle Ages and in the subsequent period, the city was relatively large and one of the first high schools in German-speaking countries was opened. The city was only able to grow slightly again in the Biedermeier period, and during the industrialization the city expanded rapidly and the population grew rapidly. Between 1840 and 1945 the city grew by over 47,000 inhabitants. Many workers moved from the surrounding countryside to the city, while others came from far and wide to find work. In 1950 the city then reached its preliminary high of almost 64,000 people. This made Hof the eighth largest city in Bavaria, and the second largest, after Bamberg, in Upper Franconia, Bayreuth grew similarly in 1950 to over 58,000 inhabitants. The following years were characterized by emigration throughout Upper Franconia, especially Bamberg and Hof. The fall of the wall brought brief relief because many stayed in Hof. However, the city continued to shrink afterwards. The trend reversal came in 2011, for the first time more people moved to Hof than moved away. By 2018 the city was able to grow again to over 47,000. New professional opportunities, new businesses and the expansion of the study facilities brought better prospects for the residents to stay in the city. More and more families are moving to Hof. In 2019, the city designated a new development area for the first time in 25 years. The surrounding area is also growing, and after the Second World War, Oberkotzau was able to take advantage of its location in the bacon belt. Oberkotzau also wants to designate a building area, and the communities of Döhlau and Konradsreuth have also been able to keep the number of inhabitants at a relatively constant level.

Population forecast

According to the census on May 9, 2011, the population of the city of Hof was 44,759. The official forecast from December 2016 for the period up to 2035 assumes a decline in the population to around 40,000 people. However, the development since 2012 shows that contrary to this forecast, the population is increasing again. For example, the forecast for 2020 predicted around 43,000 residents. In fact, the figure was almost 4,000 inhabitants higher in 2018.

In the program of Mayor Eva Döhla , newly elected in 2020 , the vision is that the city will grow to 55,000 inhabitants again by 2030.

According to current data, this is by no means unlikely, as large companies are increasingly settling here and there is great demand for building plots.