Quick facts
Dresden overview
Dresden (orange) and the other large cities of Germany
Dresden lies in Saxony in Germany at 51.05°N, 13.74°E, about 116 m above sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Berlin (UTC+2); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Dortmund (588,462) and larger than Bremen (546,501). The largest city in Germany is Berlin with 3,426,354 people; the capital, Berlin, has 3,426,354.
The national capital, Berlin, is about 165 km away; the nearest large city is Chemnitz, 62 km from Dresden.
Germany as a whole has a live population of 83,587,871 (-0.2% a year) and ranks #19 of 238 countries — see the Germany population page for the full statistics and the Germany atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Dresden
Largest cities in Germany
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BerlinCapital | State of Berlin | 3,426,354 |
| 2 | Hamburg | Hamburg | 1,973,896 |
| 3 | Munich | Bavaria | 1,505,005 |
| 4 | Köln | North Rhine-Westphalia | 1,024,621 |
| 5 | Frankfurt am Main | Hesse | 650,000 |
| 6 | Düsseldorf | North Rhine-Westphalia | 618,685 |
| 7 | Stuttgart | Baden-Wurttemberg | 612,663 |
| 8 | Essen | North Rhine-Westphalia | 593,085 |
| 9 | Dortmund | North Rhine-Westphalia | 588,462 |
| 10 | Dresden | Saxony | 564,904 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Dresden?
Dresden has about 564,904 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Dresden the capital of Germany?
No. The capital of Germany is Berlin (3,426,354 people), about 165 km away. Dresden is the 10th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Dresden compared with the rest of Germany?
Its 564,904 residents are 0.7% of the 83,587,871 people living in Germany today. Berlin is larger with 3,426,354 people.
Where is Dresden?
In Saxony, Germany, at latitude 51.05 and longitude 13.74, 116 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Chemnitz (62 km), Leipzig (101 km), Gera (118 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Dresden Population 2026 — Germany. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/germany/dresden/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/germany/dresden/">Dresden Population 2026 — Germany</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.